Four Seasons
by RobDaZombie
Summary: The same manager... but this time with different girls! A Lovehina Negima crossover! AU
1. Encounter of the Female Kind

_(Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or Magister Negi Magi. The same disclaimer applies for every chapter I create in this story)._

…

_**Asahi Shimbun.**_** Jobs and Advertisements.**

**Need a place to stay for the night, or perhaps for the fortnight? Look no further ladies of Tokyo, for Hinata-Sou is just a few steps away from a lifetime of happiness! Just ring 721 (5001) 127 or email me at Urashima.Manager.mail! Interview not required! All you need to bring is your belongings and a smile! Looking forward to seeing you!**

**Keitaro Urashima**

**Manager of Hinata-Sou**

…

**Chapter One - Encounter of the Female Kind**

…

From the outskirts of Tokyo was a rather large and majestic building. Whatever season the year would bring, come spring, summer, autumn or winter, the elements would only serve to further enhance the place, bringing a certain wave of comfort for anyone that was fortunate enough to live here. Some even say that this very dormitory brings good fortune, though these were, of course, nothing but simple rumours… because for one Keitaro Urashima, good fortune was hard to come by, even in a place like this. This place… this Hinata-Sou.

Inside the dormitory, Keitaro lounged on the couch of the living room, completely drained of all movement and emotion. He wasn't exactly your everyday handsome man, nor was he some kind of gifted genius or sports star. In fact there was a lot of positive traits that he failed to acquire, making him a rather ordinary and kind of boring person. He had rich, scruffy short black hair, and tired brown eyes, concealed with a pair of ancient looking, rectangular glasses. His clothes were far from fashionable as he wore an old pair of grey slacks and a thick blue jumper that was pulled over his yellow shirt. His orange jacket, which he only wears outside, was flung to the floor in a rather untidy heap.

Keitaro lived alone.

For two years he tried to make Hinata-Sou a success, just like when his aunt use to work here once upon a time. Out of all his family, Keitaro bonded with his aunt the most. She was always strong willed and determined to get the job done no matter how exhausted she was.

"_Aunt Haruka…" _Keitaro smiled to himself. A sad but respecting smile.

Without thinking he recalled a certain memory, a moment which his aunt would not forget in the world. He never saw Haruka so happy when she married her long time crush, Seta, a man with little to no attention span, but was caring, handsome and thoughtful.

Since Haruka had left, Keitaro had tried desperately to follow in her footsteps, but fell flat on his face trying, literally on some occasions. He would slave ungodly hours at the tea shop, another place he owned, yet wish he hadn't. The tea shop was a ten minute walk away from Hinata-Sou, though to him it always felt twice as long. However, he had no choice but to work there on the weekdays. It was, after all, his only source of income for keeping Hinata-Sou intact.

Watching some old romantic comedy on television nearly forced Keitaro in a sleepy trance, so he decided to switch it off, making the place even more silent than before. On a small wooden rounded table was a messy pile of envelopes left unopened because of his early work-shift. Most were either junk mail or bills, but he quickly focused on one in particular. 

He could recognise that handwriting if he were blindfolded.

(…♥…) 

_Dear Keitaro_

_How's my young nephew doing? Not working too hard I hope. Things are pretty hectic at Molmol since I've converted that old beach shack to a five star hotel. For starters I've hired seven staff members, who are more like family now._

(…♥…) 

Keitaro looked at the small photo included with the long letter.

(…♥…) 

_The girls from left to right are Naru Narusegawa, Mitsune Konno, Motoko Aoyama, Shinobu Maehara, Kaolla Su and Mutsumi Otohime, and the rather interesting guy next to me is Negi Springfield. We have our little arguments but we get along most of the time._

_I didn't want to ring because I know how much you hate phone calls from irate customers. Believe it or not we still get them here too. Can't people take a hint that we have lives to live?_

_Keitaro._

_I know you haven't had much luck with the dormitory, but believe me when I write this, you __will__ pull through. I remember when I ran Hinata-Sou. Nothing happened for ages but then it just seemed out of the blue when a dozen girls all showed up at once. Trust me, you will make it. After all, you are an Urashima._

_In case you fall in any financial trouble, I have enclosed a cheque. I know you hate charity, especially from family, but I know you need that extra help. I promise this will be the last cheque I will send you._

_Good luck Keitaro. Should you wish to continue with Hinata-Sou or move on in life, I will always be proud to call you my nephew._

_Haruka Urashima._

(…♥…) 

Keitaro looked blankly at the cheque. Haruka was right, he did hate having money handed to him on a plate, though he appreciated being in the clear of bankruptcy.

"_One day… I will make you proud." _He mentally told his aunt. _"One day…"_

Looking outside the window, Keitaro watched as a single snowflake gracefully made its appearance, floating slowly before resting on the ground. He nearly forgot that today was the 23rd of December, just two more days until another lonely Christmas. Sometimes he wished he did forget. Happy, joyous occasions such as this only fuelled his depression.

Sighing, it felt like gravity was pulling him down, but eventually he managed to lift himself off the couch, trying to do other tasks just to occupy his mind.

(…♥…) 

Room 305 was his secluded little area which he worked on his incomes, and, more importantly, sleep off the rest of the day. Keitaro had little time for any kind of social activity. The only hobby he really participated in was taking pictures of himself from _purikura _photo machines. In fact, he held a sticker album which was only two clean sheets away from being completely full. Every month he would add a sticker to his collection, which more or less showed him wearing a fake smile, trying to make it look like he was enjoying life. A second glance at any of the pictures would show that, inside, Keitaro looked completely downcast.

Keitaro sighed again and gently closed the album. Like every other day, he cycled through everything in his life. Everything up to the present day.

Another pastime was using his computer, which was neatly tucked away in the corner. It was an old, slow and dusty machine, but at the very least it allowed Keitaro access to the internet. Logging on alone took ten minutes, but Keitaro is a very patient person, and so didn't mind the painful loading time.

Keitaro had a single favourite pastime when browsing the internet. This pastime was simply titled 'Chiu', a pretty pink website dedicated to the most popular net idol in all of Japan. The homepage always consisted of a cute girl that looked somewhere between her teens and her early twenties. She had silky smooth orange hair, an extremely cute face and a body every girl wished to have. In addition she would also wear a variety of costumes such as sailor moon outfits, and a popular one being 'the white bunny' complete with an oversized inflatable carrot. Unsurprisingly, it was the main attraction point for males of all ages, and Keitaro was indeed one of them.

After a brief moment of gawping (half an hour to be exact), Keitaro logged onto his email messenger, though he wondered why he bothered since he knew he wouldn't get any mail in the first place. Very occasionally it would be junk mail demanding him to increase the size of his manhood, or it was his old friends named Haitani and Shirai… who would point him to links that demanded him to increase the size of his manhood. With a knowing sigh, he filled out his username (Urashima.Manager) and password… before finally logging in.

His heart nearly skipped a beat.

The merry little tune from his speakers indicated he received _four _new messages. He was usually lucky to receive any number higher than zero, but four? Four wasn't just a number. Four was something mythical, twisted and alien.

Then doubt crept inside of him. Something was up.

Just as he thought, his friends were online the same time as he was.

(…♥…) 

From the other side of the net, Haitani was on his own computer, who along with Shirai, had rented a small but cosy flat, about four miles away from Hinata-Sou. Size-wise the two of them couldn't be any more different. Haitani was tall and thin, the sort of stature that put matchsticks to shame, whist Shirai was more of a small, rotund build, similar to that of a beach ball. Both wore glasses, and both used bands to tie up their rather long brown hair.

Whilst Shirai was busy watching another episode of Hentai Kitty Meow Meow, Haitani nearly dosed off onto his keyboard. That is until Keitaro sent him a rather quick, and to-the-point message. Just about keeping his eyes awake, Haitani wondered why his pal was making such a text-filled commotion.

(…♥…) 

_UrashimaManager: Ha ha you guys. I must admit you nearly had me there._

_CaptainCourageous: Huh?_

_UrashimaManager: You know what I'm talking about. Those four messages you sent me. It was you two wasn't it?_

_CaptainCourageous: Uh no._

_UrashimaManager: Alright then what about last night when I thought a group of foreign exchange students were coming to visit? I took all those extra French tutorials for nothing._

_CaptainCourageous: Okay I admit that was us. But I swear I haven't done anything today._

_UrashimaManager: Yeah right._

_CaptainCourageous: I'm telling the truth!_

_UrashimaManager: Sure you are. (LOG OFF)_

"I know he's lying, he always does this to me." Keitaro muttered to himself. One by one Keitaro decided to inspect his newly acquired emails.

(…♥…) 

_From: Hasegawa7000.mail_

_Sent: 23 December 19.30_

_To: Urashima.Manager.mail_

_Subject: Require room at Hinata-Sou_

_--_

_Dear Sir,_

_My name is Chisame Hasegawa, I'm nineteen years of age and I require a room in your dormitory. I work full time as a professional games tester on the weekdays so paying rent should not be a problem. I would prefer to stay in a small room with privacy if possible. I will arrive at 21.00 sharp, or reply to me and suggest something that is convenient to you. Otherwise I will see you at the allotted time._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Chisame Hasegawa_

(…♥…) 

_From: solemnbookreader.mail_

_Sent: 23 December 19.32_

_To: Urashima.Manager.mail_

_Subject: hinata sou_

--

_Hi, I would like to rent a room. Will be here nine o'clock._

(…♥…) 

_From: sailorpinkbeauty16.mail._

_Sent: 23 December 19.36_

_To: Urashima.Manager.mail._

_Subject: HELLO!_

--

_HELLO MR MANAEGR! I WUD LIEK A PLACE 2 STAY BECOZ MY STOOPID PARENTS AND ME GOT IN A FIGHT SO THEY MAED ME LEAVE THE HOUSE. MY PARENTS ARE SO EVIL : ( ANYWAYS I SEE YOU AROUND NINE OR SOMETHING AROUND THAT TIME. OR WUTEVER LOL._

_BYEEEE: ) : ) : )_

(…♥…) 

_From: (hidden)_

_Sent: 23 December 19.41_

_To: Urashima.Manager.mail_

_Subject: Room urgently needed._

--

_I require a room with ample space and privacy. I will meet you in 2100 hours._

(…♥…) 

"Ha! Good one guys!" Keitaro laughed sarcastically. "So four girls are going to arrive _here _in one hour? Man, when will you two just give up?"

The time on Keitaro's computer showed it was just gone eight. Now feeling incredibly tired (and slightly angry), the lonesome manager decided to call it a day. As he turned off his machine and prepared himself for bed, Keitaro idly thought about what to do tomorrow. The weekend was enough to put a small smile back on his face, even if he did spend it alone in such a large, empty house.

His eyelids grew heavy until it reached the point where he couldn't keep them open any longer.

(…♥…) 

Four pairs of feet ascended the mountainous steps, and the heavy luggage they all carried only made the journey more exhausting. Their soft voices, caused by simple chatter had echoed into the night sky.

One girl in particular grumbled with every step she took. "A lifetime of happiness huh? I've haven't even got there and I've lost the feeling in my feet."

They all continued their uphill struggle, wondering if this Hinata-Sou really was as good as the advertisement made out to be.

(…♥…) 

Three loud knocks on the door caused Keitaro to groan loudly. Suddenly, dread filled inside him when he realised no one knocked on the main door at nine in the evening. As a matter of face, with the exception of his friends, no one had _ever _knocked on the main door…

"_Must be Haitani and Shirai… but what do they want?" _Keitaro thought, covering his mouth from yawning, and still wearing his pyjamas.

Like a zombie, Keitaro shuffled to the front door, creaking it open very slowly.

Four girls looked at the manager in an 'I'm not sure how to greet him' kind of way. It wasn't exactly the sort of greeting they hoped for.

If there was a colour paler than white, Keitaro's face would be that colour. Like a creature possessed, he eyed each one suspiciously… and then started to speak in tongues. After eleven seconds analysing the situation he fainted, falling face first into the 'welcome' mat.

As the others watched in complete surprise, a short, blue haired girl picked up a nearby twig and began to prod the manager's lifeless body. Her voice showed no emotion whatsoever.

"I think we killed him…"

…

…

_Author: Okay so you guessed one of the girls is a certain net idol, but who are the other three? Check the email addresses for each one if you're not too sure. This is my first ever crossover so please let me know what you think of the story so far. Thanks for reading._


	2. Girls! In an all Girls Dormitory!

_**The following text message was sent to (ALL FRIENDS)**_

**omgz u guys! im hvin ths prty arnd 10 at ths plce cald hinata su! jst chk ot teh wbste b lo 4 dtails on hw 2 gt thre!**

**h t t p : w w w . h i n a t a s o u . j p n . s i t e **

…

**Chapter Two - Girls! In an all girls Dormitory!**

…

For the second time this night, Keitaro Urashima found himself lounged on the living room couch. Only this time, four girls were staring at him, wondering if he would regain consciousness anytime soon.

"Well, that was a warm introduction." Grumbled the girl on the far left. "No 'hello' or 'nice to meet you', instead he just dies on us. Some Christmas this will turn out to be."

Slowly, the manager opened his eyes, instinctively feeling his throbbing forehead. His vision was still very misty, but he could just make out the blurry visions of all four of them. A pink haired girl looked at him with wide, innocent brown eyes, tilting her head slightly as if she was waiting for any sign of movement. The other two remained quiet, though they looked on expectantly.

"Um, hello? Anyone there?" The one with pink hair asked, waving her hand near Keitaro's face.

"Maybe some water will help." A short blunette suggested, walking casually to the kitchen and quickly filling a glass of water before returning to the scene. Without warning she flung the contents directly into his face, which seemed to do the trick since Keitaro woke up with an earth chilling scream.

Everyone covered their ears except the blue haired girl.

"Hmm, I think I used the wrong tap." She realised, earning a single nod from the rest of the group.

Sitting up, Keitaro eventually retained his full sight, looking at his newest residents as if they were people from another planet.

The girl furthest from his left had her arms crossed, her strict body language suggesting she was covered completely in barbed wire. Chisame Hasegawa is her name, an attractive young woman with an impressive feminine figure. Her long orange hair was tied back in a regular ponytail fashion, which, combined with her petit, rectangular glasses made her look very professional as well. She wore a short sleeved white shirt, dark grey slacks and polished black shoes. Standing at five foot seven, her height was the closest to Keitaro.

Next to Chisame is Yue, a girl with a petit frame and was easily the shortest of the group. Her motionless attitude, ribbon tied blue hair and pale skin made her look like an animated doll. She wore a simple green dress, white socks and brown sandals. Around her neck was a slender silver necklace which shone brightly with the lit room. Her tired cyan eyes stared right through Keitaro, in which Keitaro returned with an uneasy look.

With her hands clasped together is a young girl called Makie, an excitable young person with short pink hair and the most cutest smile Keitaro had ever seen. Her height and figure was somewhere between Chisame and Yue, that is to say she too, was attractive in her own way. Makie wore a red tracksuit with white stripes and a pair of expensive looking trainers. Her wardrobe suggested that she was interested into a variety of sports and other physical activities.

Finally, to Keitaro's far right is a dark skinned woman, easily the tallest of the four, as well as having a very voluptuous figure. Mana is her name, and she wore blue jeans with a matching denim jacket, which partially covered her white vest. Her hair is long, silky and dark, but her most alluring feature had to be her eyes, which were as bright as daylight. Keitaro had to pull his head away in order to break away this unusual trance.

Chisame was nineteen years old, Makie and Yue were both sixteen, whilst Mana looked as though she was in her early twenties.

Still in a drowsy state of mind, Keitaro stared dumbly at each girl, who in turn exchanged with an odd glance of their own. "Are… are you… really… girls?" He questioned.

Chisame snorted in disgust. "Is this some kind of prank?"

"Did you not receive my message?" Mana added, her voice calm but stern.

"Yeah what's going on?" Makie pitched in, though she was more confused than angry.

Yue had decided not to speak. In fact she didn't move or react… or do _anything _for that matter.

A second later, reality smacked Keitaro in the face. He inwardly groaned to himself, feeling possibly the highest point of embarrassment he had ever known in his life. _"Oh no… Haitani wasn't lying… this means…"_

"Oh God I'm so sorry everyone! I'm really, _really _sorry!" He pleaded, dropping every shred of dignity he once had. "I've been caught up in a lot of work… and… no… no that's no excuse. I'm sorry…"

Running out of words to say, Keitaro's face faltered, feeling like a complete idiot.

"…sorry…"

The room was filled with silence, the only words coming from the back of Chisame's mind. _"What's wrong with this man? He faints, he stutters and then becomes depressive? Is this the sort of person I'm going to be living with?!"_

At this point, Keitaro was more or less expecting the girls to leave him, but fortunately for the manager, Makie was the first to break this awkward moment. She took one bold step towards the surprised man and bowed in a rather charming manner.

"Hi! I'm Makie Sasaki." She introduced herself.

"Yue Ayase." Yue added, with a simple nod and nothing more.

The dark tanned woman bowed lowly, looking quite serious in her greeting. "Mana Tatsumiya." She spoke softly.

Chisame felt quite surprised at the fact that everyone had forgiven him in such a short space of time. When everyone turned to face her, she curiously looked at the manager for a few seconds before eventually shrugging off her anger, and offering her outstretched hand to him. "Chisame Hasegawa."

Keitaro smiled widely, and was hesitant at first, but in the end he lightly shook her hand. In truth, Chisame felt nervous as well, though she was a little better at masking her emotions.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." Keitaro replied, bowing to the four girls as he finished speaking. "I'm Keitaro Urashima and I'm the manager of the dormitory, as well as the Hinata tea shop."

Keitaro felt so overjoyed that he wanted to just embrace each girl, but decided against this for two reasons; one… managers must always keep a professional relationship with the residents, and two… he was in enough trouble as he is.

"Please… allow me to show you to your rooms." He finished.

Makie put a finger on her lips. "Um… we already did that." She replied nervously.

"Indeed." Mana concluded. "Whilst you were temporarily unconscious, we all took the liberty to find a room suitable for our needs."

"Oh… heh." Keitaro laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Well… does anyone have any questions to ask?"

In response Yue raised her hand high in the air. "Yes… where do you store food and drink?"

Chisame followed the conversation, raising an eyebrow in the process. "There _is _food and drink… isn't there?"

Keitaro's jaw locked open.

(…♥…)

Time quickly passed by as the sky turned darker by the minute.

The newly fallen snow made Tokyo a beautiful city to witness, and was made even more magical thanks to every shop, building and restaurant, whose owner made an effort to display their own unique decorations. Many couples were happily enjoying each others company, whilst carol singers sang their hearts away, pleasing numerous crowds of people. Christmas. There was no other holiday quite like it.

Fortunately the shopping centres were still open, even at this time of night. Fortunate for Keitaro anyway, since he forgot to stock up of two of the most common necessities for any house. Carrying a near full shopping basket in his hand, and four different lists in his mouth, Keitaro proceeded to weave through the customers and members of staff as quickly as he could manage. It was all was going smoothly until he reached the cold drinks cabinet. He stared long at each carton, bottle and can, so long in fact, that a female staff member approached him very cautiously.

"Excuse me, can I help you sir?" She asked.

Keitaro found it very difficult to string his words together.

"Um… erm… do you sell… garlic… and herbal chutney juice?"

(…♥…)

As Keitaro prepared his late night shopping, all four girls had their luggage stored away in their respective rooms. To pass the time, Yue was delicately sitting on the living room couch, her short legs kicking the air as she watched the television. Although the anime she switched to appeared to be really funny, Yue still had her usual expressionless face, refusing to move or react to the amusement on screen. Yue managed to find a room ideal for her on the top floor.

The middle floor was where Mana and Chisame found their perfect havens. Both girls pretty much kept to themselves, preferring their silent privacy.

Makie decided to choose room 304, the one directly above the manager. Lounging on her bed, the girl couldn't stop talking on her mobile phone, whilst at the same time listening to popular music on her mp3 player. Although she seemed sweet on the outside, there was this secret, sinister grin she wore, looking as though she was up to no good…

(…♥…)

It was now late at night. Very late in fact, so the girls must be completely famished by now.

With five bags in each hand, Keitaro tried to maintain his strength and speed, failing miserably on both accounts. His task in hand was made even more perilous thanks to all the steps leading to the dormitory, so it was unsurprising when the manager nearly collapsed the moment he made it to the top.

Before he could catch his breath, a deep echoing sound reached his ears, the very source coming from the inside of Hinata-Sou. The second Keitaro opened the door, he was greeted by a thunderous explosion of dance music. Excluding the residents, there were at least twenty girls dancing around randomly, some holding bottles of sake and different kinds of alcohol. In the living room lied a twister mat which a few girls participated in, looking like some kind of insane orgasmic fest. Near the couch, more excitable youths, including Yue were playing ten question trivial pursuit… with a slight twist. For every wrong question, the 'victim' would have to strip an item of clothing, and from the looks of things Yue wasn't exactly playing too well.

Keitaro's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets. Words alone could not describe this maddening event.

As if from nowhere, Makie burst into the scene, swaggering sideways and spilling alcohol with every step she tried to take.

"Heeey Keitaro-kun!" She slurred. "I hopes you don't mind us… them… me inviting a few friends round."

Before Keitaro could say anything, more friends of Makie appeared by her side, tilting their heads as they stared at the manager.

"This is Keitaro-kun, he owns this place!" Makie introduced to them, her words suddenly turning the mentioned manager into a babe magnet. A handful of them rather drunkenly stated their opinions towards him.

"Wow! You own this place? That's so cool!"

"He looks kinda weird…"

"I think he's cuuute!"

"How old are you?"

Keitaro laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh well… twenty one…"

"Wow twenty one? You're like… an adult!"

Yue also noticed her manager, as did Keitaro who mechanically turned his neck to face her. "Hello Keitaro-san." She simply greeted, removing her dress to reveal only her underwear beneath.

With girls swarming around him with random topics, not to mention near naked flesh around ever corner, Keitaro decided to bolt for his room, dashing as he reached the top floor. Unfortunately, this area was also filled with more manic teens, some of which were messing around with the chat web pages on his computer. He tried to complain, but all of his arguments fell on deaf ears… that or they were too wasted to realise anything.

Trying to find a place that wasn't 'drunken girl' orientated proved to be a task most difficult. That is, until he ran aimlessly to the second floor, banging recklessly on the closest door he could find. The door was locked, which made Keitaro come to the conclusion that either Chisame or Mana chose this room.

Chisame snapped the second she unlocked and opened her door.

"Go away! Can't I have a moments… oh… Manager-san…" She realised, adjusting her glasses. "Guess what happened when you were away…"

"When did all of this happen?" Keitaro questioned.

"Oh… round about the minute after you left." Chisame replied, sagging her shoulders.

There was a seemingly hour like pause when Keitaro fumbled for the next question. "Sorry for intruding. Um do you mind if… I stay here until it dies down?"

"Uh… well…"

"FOUND YOU!" Makie screamed, along with four other friends. "COME ON YOU TWO! IT'S TIME TO DANCE!"

"EEEEEHH?!?" Chisame and Keitaro screamed.

Before they could escape, the teen mob whisked them away, dragging them both back to the living room. Chisame flapped her arms in protest whilst Keitaro was still wondering how many girls could squeeze into the dormitory before imploding. Just as Chisame and Keitaro forcefully stood paired together in the centre of the room, a new music track began, a varied mixture of drum and bass, with the odd vocal added for good measure.

All the girls circling them were chanting 'dance!', causing Keitaro to blush like a tomato. Chisame's look was a mixture of disgust and bewilderment.

It was probably the most awkward moment they ever experienced…

(…♥…)

After countless hours, the noise from Hinata-Sou gradually faded away, as one by one, each girl found a place to rest (the popular ones being the couch, the floor or beside a tree). The morning to darkness was a completely opposite contrast for one Keitaro Urashima, since he knew for certain he would spend another Christmas holiday lonely and depressed.

Finding a nice spot on the twister map, Keitaro rolled to one side, ignoring the stale patch of vomit nearby. He took one brief look at the surroundings before gradually closing his eyes.

"_Man… I have to clean this place up…" _was the last thought in his mind. _"…but… I don't mind… I don't mind at all…"_

…

…

_Author: Sorry I took so long updating, usual work excuse I'm afraid. I hope you enjoyed the story so far. I know the characters are a little different from the original Negima storyline so I hope you like these small changes. Thanks for all the reviews as well._


	3. Keitaro and the Christmas Message

"_**This is Hasegawa Chisame, codename: Hot V1xen. I ran through the many pathways of the stony labyrinth. Everything was like a blur to me. There was no time to think and little time to act. Suddenly War Marines teleported right in front of me, but I quickly countered by firing multiple slugs from my rail cannon, blasting them to smithereens. The enemy didn't even know what hit them. I didn't have time to breathe however. A female amazon with spiky pink hair launched herself, completely pinning me to the ground. She was armed with a pair lightning claws. A deadly combination. Is this truly the end of me?" **_

…

**Chapter Three - Keitaro and the Christmas Message**

…

"Can't… die like this…" Chisame muttered whilst sleeping on the floor, unaware that Makie had rolled off the couch straight on top of her. "Must… kill… that bitch…"

Makie was also having a rather interesting dream. "Keitaro-kun? Wow… your skin is so soft…"

After a ten second delay of somewhat pleasurable groaning, the two girls darted their eyes open and instantly retreated from each other. Both of them screamed as loudly as humanly possible, thus causing a massive chain reaction from all the other girls. All twenty of them. Screaming wildly.

(…♥…)

It was early in the morning when all of Makie's friends had finally departed Hinata-Sou. All the while, Keitaro, Chisame, Makie and Yue managed to stumble themselves back to their rooms, trying to obtain some extra sleep, and somewhat preparing for the day ahead…

(…♥…)

Today is a Saturday. Between nine to ten in the morning, the residents and the manager sat themselves around the table in the living room, all eating a variety of food suitable for breakfast… well suitable for them anyway. Keitaro had spent just over an hour preparing the morning feast, in which everyone was surprised and grateful for, not knowing that he was quite the expert at cooking. The manager, Yue and Makie were all having miso soup which was complemented with steamed rice, dried seaweed, some grilled fish and an assortment of salad. Mana, who pretty much kept to herself, was seemingly satisfied as she ate two slices of toast with a generous helping of prawn spread. Chisame was eating something… most unusual, almost looking like some kind of dessert. It consisted of a bowl of chocolate cornflakes, covered with brown sugar, white sugar and topped off with mass amounts of dolly mixtures. A spoonful was enough to dissolve anyone's teeth.

The redhead looked thoroughly frustrated, probably due to last night. She isn't the kind of girl to enjoy being forced to dance, or any kind of activity that made her look stupid.

"…Oh yeah! We were all talking about who fancied you the most Keitaro-kun!" Makie broke the silence, deciding to make it an awkward moment for all the residents.

"_Um, no we didn't…" _Chisame looked up from her bowl, giving the pink haired girl an angry glare.

Keitaro choked on his mouthful of rice. "Oh um really? Erm…"

"Mana-san… do you like Keitaro?" Makie asked the reserved native.

"Not as an object of affection." Mana replied, very quick off the mark.

Makie, still between mouthfuls had turned to face the blunette. "What about you Yue-chan?"

Yue took her time drinking on a carton of carrot and coriander juice before speaking. "Although he looks weird with his seventies style clothing and odd sense of personality, he seems like a nice enough person, but I don't think I fancy him."

"And what about you Makie?" Chisame pitched in the conversation, trying to end this silly debate as soon as possible. "You were dreaming about him in your sleep…"

Keitaro's face turned blue, again failing to swallow his food.

"Oh? Weren't you the one dancing with him?" Not only that but weren't you dreaming about _me _as well!" Makie retaliated, mockingly fluttering her eyelids at her.

"Maybe she likes the best of both worlds." Added Yue.

Keitaro's face turned purple. Now he was choking on seaweed.

"What? That's not… that's… oh forget it" Chisame groaned, deflated of wit. "I'll be in my room."

Keitaro had to thump his stomach a few times to continue the flow of his regular breathing. "How was your breakfast Hasegawa-san?" He asked.

"Fine, it needed more sugar though." She answered, making her way back to the second floor.

Mana was the second to depart from her meal, bowing in respect to the manager before promptly leaving. Keitaro briefly wondered why she always seemed so… secretive around everybody else. He concluded that she was perhaps just a little on the shy side.

In third place finishing was Keitaro himself. "Well… it looks like a have a lot of cleaning to sort out…" He said to himself, making Makie feel quite embarrassed.

"Um, sorry about last night." She laughed nervously. "I honestly didn't know that many would show up."

Before Keitaro could respond the house phone rang. Curious, Keitaro got up and answered it… feeling a sudden coldness as he realised who was on the receiving end. Makie turned around and faced the back of the manager, as if trying to eavesdrop, but had no such luck. The exchange of conversation wasn't very long, but it was enough to change his mood swing to a more depressing level.

"I… have to go…" Keitaro said to Yue and Makie. Preparing himself for travel, the whole of Hinata-Sou vibrated as many loud bangs were thumped against the main double doors.

"I'll get it." Keitaro said, slightly puzzled as to who it might be. He was greeted by a series of shouting and cheering… by two guys he knew all too well…

"SURPRISE!" They both yelled, loud enough so most of Tokyo would hear. Keitaro simply stared at his friends, as did all the other residents who rushed over to see what was going on.

Haitani wore a traditional Santa Clause outfit whilst Shirai resembled a fat reindeer complete with a red plastic nose. Both looked like complete morons.

"We're here to cheer you up!" Haitani exclaimed, raising a fist in the air.

"Yeah!" Shirai added. "Since we figured you would be all alone, bored, depressed…"

Seizing this rare opportunity, Keitaro grabbed his wallet and shoes, and slung his orange jacket over his shoulder. "Great timing guys! I need to go out for a few things. Can you look after the residents whilst I'm away?"

Before the wacky duo could reply, or even wonder what the hell the manager was on about, Keitaro had bolted his way outside the dormitory, setting foot upon the newly fallen snow.

"Huh? Residents? What's he on about?" Haitani asked, taking his hat off to scratch his head.

The tubby reindeer shrugged. "He's probably hallucinating again. I mean c'mon… girls? Actually living here?"

A single cough from Yue brought the two to absolute attention. The blunette stared at them in a solemn, scary sort of way. Chisame, again, couldn't believe what was happening, looking even more angry than normal. Makie merely frowned whilst Mana looked deadly serious.

Keitaro's friends had their mouths widely opened.

"HOLY SHIT YOU'RE ALL GIRLS!" They both shouted, pointing rudely at each of them.

Although the girls looked distressed in their own way (except Yue), Chisame looked as though she was going to explode at any second.

"Can't I have a normal day?" She seethed. For the second time she stomped her way to her room.

Makie looked sympathetically towards the angry form of the redhead. _"Chisame-chan?"_

"Woah! What's the deal with her?" Haitani joked.

It seemed like Keitaro's friends were not exactly going to be popular…

(…♥…)

The distance between Hinata-Sou and the house where Keitaro's parents lived was an hours journey from the train. It was going to be a very long day for him, and the expression on his face suggested that he wasn't looking forward to meeting them.

Keitaro sat alone on one of the many identical benches. For Christmas Eve there was a lot of people around, which combined with the occasional station announcement, formed a very noisy ambience.

Finally, after much waiting, Keitaro's train arrived.

(…♥…)

As the day reached to the late afternoon, Makie vowed to clean up the mess she and her friends caused last night. Yue volunteered to help, sweeping the rubbish away with a dustpan and brush. Haitani, who was in the living room with the two girls, snored very loudly. Makie and Yue never saw such a man who lacked so much physical energy. The numbskull also forgot to bring a set of spare clothes, as did Shirai, so they were still in their festive costumes for the remainder of the day.

Makie wiped some sweat off her forehead. "Phew! I'm just going to take a quick shower." She told Yue before heading off upstairs. Yue nodded, deciding to clean the trash around the front door, focusing her attention on the task at hand.

On hearing the word 'shower', Haitani's eyes magically flustered open.

(…♥…)

In Keitaro's room was where Shirai decided to stay. Not showing any respect for his privacy, the fat reindeer rummaged through every nook and cranny in his personal space, including his sticker album which Shirai labelled as geek material (this is coming from someone who likes watching Hentai Kitty Meow Meow). Running out of things to do, he walked around the corridors only to spot Haitani staring at the keyhole leading to the bathroom.

"Haitani?" He quizzed, in which his friend quickly placed a finger between his lips.

"C'mon baby, lose that towel…" Haitani whispered excitedly, his nose starting to bleed.

Of course Shirai wanted a part of the action as well, so the two of them were squabbling to see who can watch Makie in her purest form. Haitani and Shirai suddenly found themselves short of breathing when Mana stealthily prowled behind them and lifted the two guys from the scruff of their necks. Her strength was incredible.

"Haitani… and Shirai… is it?" Her voice was still quiet, yet sounded so much colder than before. "Perhaps you two need some lessons to respect your fellow woman?"

Makie emerged from the bathroom, a large white towel wrapped around her body. She was wondering what all the commotion was about. Yue appeared from nowhere, earning a double scream from a dangling Haitani and Shirai. However, no one was prepared for Chisame's massive outburst as she kicked her door open in a fit of rage. In a short space of time, Chisame had packed up all her belongings and was ready to leave for good.

"I've had enough of this place." She declared. "All I wanted was a nice normal life, but instead I get lumbered with freaks, morons and… and all sorts of insane crap! And now our so called manager leaves us with these two bumble brains. Do _none _of you find that in the least way irresponsible?"

"Um… maybe?" Shirai answered lamely.

"Well enjoy your death trap everyone, because I'm out of here." The redhead concluded. She was gone in a flash.

"Chisame-chan! Wait!" Makie pleaded, raising her hands up. Unfortunately gravity could not control her unoccupied towel, which now fell to her feet.

Haitani groaned. "Aw man! She was wearing a swimsuit all along!"

The grip on Haitani's neck just got that much tighter…

(…♥…)

The journey there and back felt like forever. The train travelled at its usual bullet speed, but to Keitaro it felt like time itself had come to a grinding halt. He watched as the sky turned to darkness, and looked on as few more glittery stars appeared to make the night more complete.

As the train slowed to an eventual standstill, Keitaro took a few slow steps back to the station. He sighed heavily. Keitaro never did have a great relationship with his parents, and the Christmas visit only reinforced his neglect towards them. Keitaro's parents owned a sweet shop which had been their family business for many generations, but Keitaro elected to move into Hinata-Sou instead. Naturally this resulted in a lot of negative energy which has been going on for longer than anyone can remember.

As the young manager was about to walk back to the dormitory, a microphone was shoved near his face. He looked upwards to notice a tall man holding a camcorder, and a young woman who was lightly tapping the sound device before once again poking it in front of Keitaro. The woman had wildly styled purple hair, and an equally wild personality. Her loud voice nearly made the poor manager deaf to no end, and the microphone amplifying her words didn't help either.

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen!" She introduced herself, hoisting her free hand high in the air. "You are watching the Asakura Channel eight 'till late! Tonight we bring to you, the viewers at home a rather… um interesting person… who… appears to be by himself this Christmas Eve! Sir what is your name?"

Keitaro swallowed a lump in his throat. Being put on the spotlight made him feel incredibly nervous. "U-um Keitaro Urashima…"

"And how do you intend to spend this Christmas?" The woman added. "Do you have a loved one waiting for you?"

"Um… no not really…"

"Oh, well are you visiting your family…?"

"I… uh done that."

"I see. Well do you have a special Christmas message that you wish to tell a certain someone?"

(…♥…)

As if by magic, every large and small television in Tokyo shops and other buildings showed Keitaro's rather worried looking face. Every man, woman, boy and girl outside, all covered completely in warm clothing had stopped dead in her tracks. Their eyes were glued to the unusual spectacle.

(…♥…)

"Well it's not really a Christmas message I'm afraid. You see… I've been living in a dormitory for a few years now. I used to get depressed a lot and generally feel sorry for myself… but just yesterday four women appeared on my doorstep, wanting to stay at the very place I thought would be forever empty. I just want to say I'm sorry to my residents Yue, Makie, Chisame and Mana. I've been especially irresponsible. I shouldn't had left without saying anything. I just hope someday I can be a good manager like my aunt… and I want to be a good manager to my residents. So that's what I wanted to say really. I'm sorry. I'm… … I'm sorry…"

The broadcaster felt heart struck for a good few seconds before speaking again. "Uh, thank you Mister Urashima."

As the camera crew departed, looking for someone else to interview, a certain girl was standing there the whole time. She was wearing a red fluffy coat, and held a heavy briefcase in each hand. Through her petit glasses, her surprised eyes were locked on Keitaro's own.

Keitaro, not wondering why, or how she was here, managed a nervous smile.

(…♥…)

Chisame and Keitaro returned to Hinata-Sou, neither of them exchanging much more than a few words between one another. Chisame admitted to herself she was too rash with her outburst, even though she predicted the dormitory was still far from ordinary… and of course she was right in that respect.

The whole house, inside and out was filled colourfully with tinsel and other wonderful decorations, courtesy of Keitaro's residents. Whilst Keitaro and Chisame were away, the rest of the residents managed to find a small tree, although it did look similar to the ones just outside Hinata-Sou…

"Welcome back Keitaro-kun, Chisame-chan!" Makie cheered, hugging the managers arm.

"What made you come back Chisame-san?" Yue asked.

Chisame secretly smiled to himself. "The company… I guess…"

Makie narrowed her eyes before deciding to put on a more playful tone. "Or maybe you two snogged each others brains out!"

A vein appeared on Chisame's forehead. "Idiot! Nothing like that happened at all!"

Makie could only giggle seeing Chisame in a state of anger, and Keitaro in a state of laughing nervously.

With everything more or less back to normal, and with Christmas on its way, tomorrow was going to be a most joyous occasion. Joyous… and most definitely filled with insanity.

Hinata-Sou had finally come to life.

(…♥…)

"AW COME ON! WE'VE LEARNT OUR LESSON!" Haitani and Shirai begged whilst running laps around Hinata-Sou, wearing only their boxer shorts.

"Are you _sure _you two learnt your lesson?" Mana asked, folding her arms as she took the role of a drill sergeant.

"YES!" They both replied.

"And do you now wish to respect women as equals and not some part of your erotic fantasies?"

"YES!"

"Then prove it… give me another fifty laps."

"WHAT?!?!"

Mana smiled as she watched the two dunderheads squeal in agony, wondering if they would make it or collapse trying…

…

…

_Author: Well that's the winter season finished. I'm wondering if I should involve all the girls from Negima in this story, or just the Hinata Sou cast and a few extra ones that make cameo appearances (like the news reporter… take a wild guess who she is…). Thanks for the feedback and I hope you have enjoyed the story so far._


	4. This Crazy Secret of Mine

_Hi everyone. My name is Keitaro Urashima, I__'__m twenty one years old and I am the manager of Hinata-Sou. Some time ago Yue Ayase, Makie Sasaki, Mana Tatsumiya and Chisame Hasegawa altogether visited on the same day of the Christmas Season. Since then my life has been very hectic, and yet at the same time very… exciting._

_Now we are near the end of February, and boy has the time flown by! I have learnt that Ayase-san is a librarian at Tokyo University, whilst Sasaki-san is still at school studying. She__'__s kind of undecided what she wants to do, but I__'__m certain with all her regular exercises she__ will__ make a great athlete one day. Hasegawa-san is still working as a computer games tester and Tatsumiya-san__…__ I__'__m not really sure what she does. Although I must admit Hasegawa-san prefers her privacy, Tatsumiya-san seems even more secretive. I always get a sudden chill when she__'__s near me. Well__…__ she seems to pay the rent like everyone so I guess that__'__s alright_

_It__'__s nearly time for bed so I better call it a night. See you tomorrow._

…

**Chapter Four - This Crazy Secret of Mine**

…

After finishing all the household chores, Keitaro had absolutely nothing more to do. It was one of those rare beautiful mornings where the world was at his fingertips, so he did all the things he liked doing. Unfortunately all the things he liked doing were considered… different to most ordinary people.

First Keitaro made sure his sticker album was without any traces of dust, making sure each page was in tip-top notch condition. Secondly he re-read through his entire diary from the beginning to the present day, chuckling at all the little jokes and pictures he made in between. After a few minutes, Keitaro came to the conclusion that he hardly had any decent pastimes at all.

"_Maybe I__'__ll check up the girls and see what they__'__re up to__…"_He wondered. Although he did not wish to intrude on their privacy, he needed to do something or else he would lose his mind completely. Thinking about the girls brought his attention to one in particular. Even now Keitaro would forget that the pink haired girl was directly above him.

Keitaro looked straight up, remembering the detachable tile in the corner.

"_I never did get round to fixing that__…"_He mused to himself.

Not properly thinking, Keitaro decided to greet Makie by climbing onto his bed and poked his head through the loose tile to Makie's room.

"Good morning Sasaki-san! How are youuUUAAARGH!"

Keitaro cursed his own eyes as they feasted on Makie who was in the middle of her warm up training, whilst wearing a very tight pair of shorts and t-shirt. Her natural reaction was an ear piercing scream and before Keitaro could retreat he found himself being the victim of a lethal sliding kick to the nose.

"Woah… nice move…" Keitaro groaned, laying face first into his bed.

Makie popped her head into the hole. "Sorry Keitaro-kun but you scared me!"

Keitaro, tending to his wounded nose, figured that the loose tile was not the greatest idea after all.

"_Well I guess I needed a freshen up anyway.__"_Keitaro said to himself, staggering from his recent attack.

As he walked along the corridor, the manager thought that a nice splash of cold water in the bathroom would be enough to wash away that previous disaster. It seemed like a good plan at the time, if Keitaro hadn't opened the door without knocking first, because Yue was sitting on the toilet waiting for nature to take its course. Yue reacted in her usual way… by not reacting at all.

"Oh God I'm so sorry Ayase-san!" Keitaro shouted whilst quickly shutting the door behind him.

(…♥…)

From one of the smaller rooms on the second floor, a series of gun shots, explosions and a collection of other violent sounds could easily be heard. Gritting her teeth, Chisame proceeded to annihilate the online competition with her newly acquired army game. With boiling adrenaline pumping through her veins, the taste of victory was upon her lips as the frenzied girl was just about to win another huge tournament. Unfortunately the loud knocks on her door from a certain someone instantly broke her concentration, and quickly cost her the game. Feeling slightly edgy, Chisame opened the door faster than anyone could draw breath. See looked at the form of a very worried manager, and rightfully so since her face was red with rage and her glasses soaked up every segment of steam.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?" She shouted, grabbing Keitaro by the collar and forcing him against the wall.

Keitaro squealed a reply. "I… um j-j-just wanted to know if everything… was okay…?"

"PEACHY… JUST… BLOODY… PEACHY."

At that moment Makie had finished all her exercising and now laid her eyes on this interesting little scenario. She walked past the two of them whilst playfully rolling her eyes.

"You know… if you two want to get _so _close with each other you could always share a room…" She said ever so smoothly.

Naturally this remark caused Chisame to get even angrier, so she decided to blow off more steam by abruptly returning to play on her computer some more. She shoved the poor manager to one side and slammed the door just inches away from his face.

Feeling the invisible weight on his shoulders, Keitaro managed to drag himself back to his room. Though he was a hard worker, those incidents alone were enough to suck the very wind from his body.

"_Everyday I'm surrounded by these morons."_ Chisame thought, gritting her teeth as she furiously played away on her laptop. This laptop, and many other computer devices were Chisame's only form of entertainment, most of which were laid in a rather untidy heap of wires and cables. If it wasn't for this kind of modern technology, Chisame would probably cease to exist.

Over the past couple of months, Chisame certainly had some kind of chemistry with everyone who shared the same house as her, although this chemistry came inclusive with an explosive reaction.

Makie, she loathed. The pink haired one always seemed to get in her face. She was always happy, which gave Chisame the impression she was up to no good. Yue, she thought was just completely abnormal. The way she had no reaction to anything freaked her out to no end. Chisame had a mutual respect for Mana, but even so, they were still like two irregular peas to a pod. Then there was the manager. Keitaro Urashima. Nervous, goofy and would always rub the back of his neck every ten minutes. These were the three reasons that annoyed Chisame to no end.

So… in other words, she really didn't get along with anyone… human or otherwise.

After a humiliating second place on her online game, Chisame decided to work on something else. Her anger gradually faded away the longer she spent time on the glowing screen. Her finger glided the touch pad like it was second nature to her.

"_Hmm… this could use a different layout…" _She mused, placing a thumb and finger between her chin.

The door knocked once again. Quickly minimising the web page, Chisame swung the door for the second time. It was him again. This time Chisame didn't explode in fury. This time she greeted him with cold, calculating eyes.

"Um, hey Hasegawa-san… um sorry about bothering you again…" Keitaro laughed nervously.

Chisame still stared at him, wondering why it always took the manager so long to form a simple sentence.

"It's just that we're all going outside for some shopping… and I was wondering if you needed anything." He added, not knowing how Chisame would react.

Chisame let out a light sigh. "I'm okay thanks." She replied quietly.

"Okay we'll be back in a few hours time." Keitaro finished. However, he was just about to close the door when…

"Wait."

Chisame's voice suddenly became very sharp.

Keitaro turned to face her. "What is it?"

"You are _all _going?"

"Well… yeah."

"As in you, Mana, Makie and Yue?"

"Yeah."

Chisame still didn't believe the words coming out of the managers mouth. Much to Keitaro's bewilderment, Chisame forced a pen and writing pad into his hands.

"Okay…" Chisame said once again, trying to sound as cool and collected as possible. "I want you to write down the names of _all_ the people who are going shopping with you. Plus if _you're _going shopping… _outside_… then I want you to write down _your_ name as well."

The seriousness in her eyes showed that Chisame was far from joking. Keitaro realised this so he quickly jotted down the four names. Chisame snatched away the pad and read it twice just to prove it wasn't some sort of illusion.

"Okay you can go now." Chisame said, wavering her hand to signal the manager to leave.

"Hasegawa-san? Are you feeling okay?" He asked before going.

"Fine." She replied. _"Couldn't be better…"_

(…♥…)

As her door closed behind her, Chisame patiently played the waiting game. She waited for those large main double doors of Hinata-Sou to slam shut.

Finally… it happened. The clicking sound of the door locking meant she was finally alone.

Not one to take a gamble, Chisame bolted as fast as she could, running through every corridor and every room. She checked the entire house three times, the sound of silence being unfamiliar to her.

She finally made her way in the middle of the living room. Taking three deep breaths, Chisame punched both fists in the air and screamed the most unholy scream imaginable. Building up her momentum she then charged straight into one of the comfy chairs, making it fall backwards on impact. This caused Chisame to tumble and land nearly upside down on the floor, though she was miraculously uninjured from this reckless act.

Running back to her room, Chisame looked for her music player located on the windows desktop. Her smile grew broader as she slowly increased the volume of the dance track she played. A mixture of drums, bass and various melodies blasted through the speakers.

Melting herself into the rhythm, Chisame opened her wardrobe with both arms, revealing an incredible display of clothes and other wild accessories, all colour coordinated like a rainbow.

"Yeah baby…" Chisame grinned, her tone of voice tainted with seduction.

Realising she was up against the clock, Chisame snatched a handful of clothing and whisked herself back downstairs to the living room again. She placed a digital camera set on 'timed flash' on the telly, and began to remove her usual clothes in favour for her more radical ones.

The camera flashed every five minutes. With each flash, Chisame had undergone a whole new transformation with each and every outfit. Her outfits varied from a bright yellow tank top with ripped green jeans, a black and white housemaid outfit, a pink bikini that looked two sizes too small and perhaps the most bizarre of them all, a bright blue bunny costume complete with a huge inflatable carrot.

Twelve different outfits, and at least fifty poses later, the redhead rushed to her room and began editing all her pictures in 'Photoshock', a nifty little program which allowed her to render and modify any part of her that she didn't like. Amplifying breasts was her preferred weapon of choice.

All that was left to do now was to store these images into her website. A website that she has been working for a _very _long time.

"Thanks for being so patient, my ever so wonderful Chiu fans!" She spoke to her laptop. Her voice was so unlike her usual chilling sarcasm. If anything, it was probably even more frightening to hear her sound so pleasant.

Chisame only relaxed for five minutes before the adrenaline rush kicked in again. With a mischievous grin, she grabbed another handful of clothes and continued this cycle for as long as she could manage.

Chisame… was like a bird free of its cage.

(…♥…)

After an exhausting shopping spree, Keitaro, Mana, Yue and Makie decided to call it a day. As they all walked through the streets of Tokyo, Keitaro noticed a selection of guys staring in his direction. Most of them were probably wondering how such a dorky looking person could be seen with four attractive looking girls. Another portion of the guys were gazing at Mana's beautiful physique, but Mana was completely un-phased by this. As far as she was concerned, Keitaro and the other residents were the only visible people that walked beside her.

Each walking step made the manager increasingly nervous so he made an attempt to 'break the ice'.

"So… um Ayase-san." Keitaro said to Yue. "It must be interesting working as a librarian in Tokyo University. I mean there must lots of students to meet."

"It's okay." Yue quietly replied.

Keitaro was expecting Yue to at least speak a little longer, but that was it. After those two words, Yue remained deathly silent. It was frightening the way she did that.

Shortly afterwards, Makie mashed in a selection of numbers on her pink mobile phone.

"Inviting more friends?" Mana asked, to which Makie playfully poked her tongue out.

"No… I'm just going to check up on Chisame-chan. I mean it's been a while since we left." Makie replied. Keitaro nodded in agreement, nearly forgetting that Chisame was all by herself.

"_It has been a while because you purchased every type of clothing in Tokyo." _Mana mused, carrying two bags crammed full of the mentioned items. Compared to the shopping Keitaro held, the strong native woman made him look like a complete weakling.

Makie listened carefully to the receiving end.

(…♥…)

For one Chisame Hasegawa, time did not exist. Clothes upon clothes were piled in a heap that would put junkyards to shame. Amongst the clothing were a dozen litre bottles of fizzy drinks she managed to find, now all empty. It was apparent that the girl had a massive craze for fizzy drinks, which had effected her in an extremely insane way. Wherever she laid foot, destruction would be the end result. She even risked diving into her mass pile of laundry, using the couch as a spring board.

Wearing only her underwear, Chisame rushed to the house phone which had been ringing for the twentieth time. The minute she picked up the phone, she instantly began making a manner of noises ranging from a snorting pig to a distressed sounding chicken. In fact she went through every single farmyard animal imaginable… and this continued for several minutes before Chisame slammed the phone down, almost smashing it in the process.

(…♥…)

Makie's face was a picture. Never a time has anyone seen her in such a state of shock.

"Uh Sasaki-san?" Keitaro asked. "Is everything okay?"

Makie snapped out of her mental bewilderment. "I think I dialled the wrong number."

(…♥…)

…

Time passed by…

…

"…ooh… what's going on…?"

…

…

Chisame failed to move a single muscle as she was completely depleted of energy. Her body found itself dangling from the dinner table, plus she was completely unaware of the many hours she spent making an idiot of herself. She had a soup bowl on her head and a teaspoon lodged up her nose.

"Wha… what the hell happened?" She thought aloud.

All it took were three loud knocks on the main door and, like lightning striking the mind, Chisame instantly knew the predicament she got herself into. Fortunately Keitaro left the keys indoors, otherwise she wouldn't hear the end of it if they all saw her like this. She accelerated into speeds even professional athletes would be proud of. She ran up and down the stairs like there was no tomorrow, scooping up all her clothes and gadgetry and flinging them back to her room. In just under a few minutes the whole place was back to its original tidy self… but then Chisame realised she was wearing next to nothing so she had to rummage through her belongings until she found her regular casual wear.

"_Glasses check, tidy hair check, normal clothes check, shoes… okay I'm all set… wait! What the hell am I wearing?! And what THIS?!?"_

The door knocked louder than before.

"Alright I'm coming!" Chisame called out, removing the unwanted 'kitchen wear'. She unlocked the door and allowed the rest of the gang to arrive.

Makie burst into the room, spreading her arms open like a free butterfly. Everyone else slowly followed suit… slowly because they somehow all found themselves carrying everything Makie bought.

"Hey Chisame-chan! Did you miss us?" Makie chirped, her face only millimetres away from Chisame.

"Yes. Terribly." Chisame replied, retaining her regular sarcastic nature.

As everyone else entered Hinata-Sou and began to unpack, Chisame decided to go back to her room. She took four paces forward when suddenly she froze to the spot. Something was deeply wrong. She didn't know what it was but she could just sense there was a major problem. She instinctively turned around and found Yue thoroughly examining the couch. To Yue's surprise (well… surprised for her anyway) she found a pair of pink coloured panties. She stretched them a couple of times, realising they were much smaller than the ones she wore.

In a very quick motion, Chisame snatched the pants in a single scoop before running back upstairs. Her face glowed a bright red, not remembering the last time she has felt this embarrassed before. All the girls just looked at her like she was an alien from another planet… and Keitaro now had at least a hundred filthy images in his mind, much to his dislike.

Right at this moment, all that Chisame wanted was a good video game. Any idle distraction so she could forget this rather… maddening day.

…

…

_Author: Sorry I was late submitting this chapter. I'm not one to make excuses but work has been really stressful over the last few months. Also after reading chapter two and three for a few times, I've decided to slow things down a little. I will concentrate on only a few scenes rather than juggle half a dozen at a time._

_Anyway I hope this chapter makes up for the delay._

_Rob._


	5. Senpai and Student

_Hiya! I'm Makie Sasaki! I'm sixteen years old and I love all kinds of sports! Unfortunately I'm not really very good at anything else, but at least I try… kind of. My hobbies are playing sports, exercising and annoying Chisame-chan! I know for real that she fancies Kei-kun but she so denies it. I don't know why. One of my friends said he was goofy whilst another said he was kind of cute._

_Me? Well… he is clumsy and there are times when he acts kinda weird… but other times… he can be quite the gentleman._

**Chapter Five - Senpai and Student**

…

Tokyo High School is an immaculate building filled with thousands of childhood memories. The structure itself was incredible to witness, with one of its most famous features being the large traditional clock placed on top. Education here is taken very seriously, so it was built accordingly so teachers and students can work in an effective manner.

Inside one of the many classrooms Makie Sasaki idly looked at her fingernails. She was utterly bored to death. The only two sounds that echoed into her ears were the ticking clock outside and the teacher droning on about some complicated equation. Like all the students, Makie wore her 'Sei Fuku' outfit as well as a navy blazer since the weather was quite breezy.

"_Sasaki-san…"_

Makie seemed to be part sleepy and part hallucinating. She just wanted to get outside and taste the fresh air.

"Sasaki-san!"

Hearing her name, the pink haired girl stood straight to attention. A couple of students muffled some quiet giggles to themselves. Makie sheepishly looked at her teacher, who had a rather strict look on his face.

"Perhaps you would care to explain everything I just said?" The teacher added, placing both his hands on his hips.

Makie searched around the class for any hidden clues. Much to her dislike, all of the students had blank faces and the whiteboard was filled with impossible looking symbols. Giving up, she turned to face the teacher once more.

"Um… I dunno." She said quietly.

"Perhaps because you were too busy daydreaming?" The teacher stated.

"Maybe."

"This is not a joking matter Sasaki-san. Whether you like it or not, Mathematics is a very important subject… especially if one wishes to pass their entrance exams. Is that clear?"

Feeling downcast Makie looked straight at her desk.

"Yes sir."

(…♥…)

The school bell chimed, indicating it was time to go home. Everybody rushed out of school… with the exception of one. Although Makie is often cheerful and mischievous, there are times where she develops a complete reversal of character. All it took were a few truthful words from her teacher, and it made her feel downright depressed.

Two of Makie's friends rushed side by side to greet her.

"Hey Makie-chan! Yuna-chan knows this really cool restaurant that sells these king size milkshakes… and get this… forty four different flavours!" Makie's friend on the right said.

"Yeah!" The other one chirped. "You can even like combine two flavours together!"

"Sorry I have to get home early today." Makie replied softly, wondering what she said was even passable as an excuse.

"Makie-chan?"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

Makie managed a eye-smile at her friends, though it was obvious she was faking it. "Yeah I'm fine thanks. See you tomorrow!"

(…♥…)

Leaving her friends slightly confused, Makie jogged her way back through the numerous pathways, clutching her school rucksack with both hands.

"_Stupid teacher." _She muttered. _"What does he know? Treats me like some kind of child."_

Her mood swings changed from bitter to sad. She really hated feeling so negative. With a few misguided steps, Makie accidentally bumped into a few people, apologising to them when she realised she wasn't properly concentrating on anything but her own idle thoughts.

Right now all Makie wanted to do was rush into her own room and listen to her favourite music from her mp3 player. At least that thought put a slight smile on her lips.

(…♥…)

Since today is a weekday, all the excitement and arguing in Hinata-Sou disappeared. The only ambience was the windy breeze that swayed a few of the less sturdy trees outside.

Sitting on the sofa was Mana Tatsumiya. Unlike Chisame, she wasn't one to explode with excitement just because she was left on her own. Instead Mana found herself reading a hardback book with enough pages to last a fortnight.

Just after four in the afternoon Makie opened the main door, looking not quite so happy. Not as happy as Mana expected her to be anyway.

"Good afternoon Sasaki-san." Mana greeted her in her usual neutral manner,

"Hey Mana-san." Makie softly replied,

Facing the floor, Makie dragged the remains of her rucksack all the way upstairs and into her room. This left Mana feeling slightly puzzled.

"_That is certainly unlike Sasaki-san. I hope there is nothing seriously wrong with her."_

Around ten or so minutes later and Yue opened the door slowly, making a lingering creak as she did so. Mana greeted her the same way as she did Makie, which Yue replied with a simple 'hello'. Yue's work wear wasn't exactly fashion designer material since it just consisted of a navy blue blouse and black slacks.

Not afraid of Mana's presence at all, Yue sat in the middle next to her and turned on the telly, watching a cartoon that was filled with the usual noises once would normally expect. This made Mana frown slightly, having been used to the silence so long, but in the end she didn't mind. It was a good part to finish reading anyway.

The sky changed to darkness as the time reached six o'clock. Without a second to waste, Chisame burst into the room and didn't acknowledge either of the girls. She was clearly annoyed, so she must have had a terrible day at work.

"_Idiot people! I found loads of glitches but oh no! They still insist on releasing it in one weeks time! Do my suggestions mean nothing to them?! I mean it's obvious that X is the button used to select weaponry, but hell no! They have to go with Y! Y for goodness sake!"_

"If anyone needs me I'll be in the shower." Chisame muttered loudly, stomping her way to the bathroom before slamming the door behind her.

"_Well at least Hasegawa-san is back to her regular self." _Mana mused as she flicked through the last page of the chapter.

Finally, just after six was when the manager entered Hinata-Sou. He was completely exhausted as buckets of sweat poured through his forehead. Though he just wanted to pass out at any moment, at least Keitaro made an effort to greet the two residents in such a happy way… unlike a certain redhead.

"…okay I'm just going to take a quick shower. Oh by the way chicken ramen is for dinner tonight, if that's okay with everyone."

"Okay." Yue simply replied.

"That sounds fine." Mana added, making a small smile.

"Great! I'll be about twenty minutes!" Keitaro concluded as he jogged his way upstairs.

The room fell silent with the exception of Keitaro's footsteps from the stairs. Yue and Mana retained their normal activity when about five seconds later they quickly stared at each other.

There was a giant shriek followed by a loud clouting sound…

(…♥…)

Dinner was mostly a quiet affair. There were certainly no complaints from the food Keitaro lovingly prepared for them. The dish contained a healthy portion of soup, twisty noodles, steamed vegetables and of course thick layers of white meat. All piping hot and ready to eat.

Although she had lived in the country for some time, Mana still found herself unacquainted with Japanese styled food. She savoured every mouthful she took, taking in all the flavour and various spices. Another slow eater was Makie, but she had other reasons compared to the native girl. With her elbow on the table, Makie lazily prodded a slice of chicken with a fork. She was hungry yet found it very difficult to eat her food.

"Hasegawa-san." Keitaro said, tending to his slightly swollen black eye. "I just want to say I'm really sorry for…"

Chisame looked at the manager for a second, closed her eyes and then opened her right one. "Manager-san… you have already apologised for the fifth time tonight, and I've already forgiven you, okay?"

"Oh, well okay." He lamely replied.

"_This is the part where Makie will get another cheap shot at me." _Chisame thought, knowing that the pink haired girl was an expert of impeccable timing… or just an expert at harassing the poor net idol. _"Any… moment… now…"_

To everyone's surprise, Makie gently pushed her bowl and plate away. "Sorry Kei-kun, I just don't feel like eating tonight…"

"Well… alright…" Keitaro responded. "I'll put it in the oven in case you feel hungry later."

Makie managed a weak smile. "Okay…"

(…♥…)

It was an unusual change to hear Makie's room in such silence. Normally, even with her mp3 player switched on, one could easily hear her favourite tracks radiating through the door. Inside her room Makie sat by her desk, scooping everything that was one there to one side.

"_That teacher thinks I'm such a moron." _Makie thought angrily. _"He just thinks I'm good at sports and nothing else… well… I'll show him. I'll study until the morning if I have to."_

During the later school hours, Makie's teacher informed the class that they had a maths exams which were based on equations of varying difficulty. To test herself Makie was issued with a text book full of numerical problems. The book alone weighed about half a ton. A few minutes later and Makie had everything sorted out; pens, paper and the book were all in place. Now if only she could remember what the teacher had taught her…

(…♥…)

Keitaro laid flat out on his bed, feeling like gravity just squashed him flat. His daily job, his everyday housework and doing the dishes were all listed off as finished. The only part of him that was active were the many thoughts cycling through his head.

"_Huh… it feels so strange that other people live here now. It only feels like yesterday when I was by myself..."_

He felt saddened as he recollected one of his darkest memories. As much as he tried to change his state of mind, this thought quickly overwhelmed him. He never really got along with his family, except aunt Haruka of course. His parents told him he had no future unless he worked with them, and they got even more angry when Keitaro explained that he chose to run Hinata-Sou instead. Since then neither of them made a single attempt to visit him, even during his birthday or the Christmas Season. As far as they were concerned, Keitaro's parents wouldn't blink an eye if he dropped off the face of the earth.

Other thoughts began to develop inside him, but they were quickly nullified when he heard the sounds of muffled crying coming from above. This naturally made Keitaro worried.

"_Sasaki-san…?" _He asked himself.

(…♥…)

A few tear stains were scattered over a blank sheet of lined paper. She read each question thoroughly, over and over, but she just could not find the answer to any of them.

The sounds of her door knocking forced Makie to quickly wipe away her tears. She could not remember the last time she felt so miserable and there was no way on earth she wanted anyone to see this unlikely side of her.

Makie's door opened to reveal a sympathetic Keitaro, who knew better than to pop his head from the ceiling hole again.

"Sasaki-san… is everything okay?" Keitaro softly said. He felt like it was his duty to make sure Makie was feeling okay.

Hearing his kind voice, Makie turned to face him with a false looking eye smile. "Yeah fine thanks! Couldn't be better!"

Keitaro slowly approached the now curious pink haired girl and looked at the cover of her book. The way Makie had her work laid out reminded Keitaro of his younger years.

"You look like you're stuck. Need any help?" He asked.

Makie opened her mouth and was just about to politely refuse, but something in the back of her mind suggested otherwise. She practically had no idea where to start so any help was more than welcome.

"S-sure…"

"Okay then." Added Keitaro, who felt relieved that he was able to assist. He sat alongside her, closing the distance between them. "How about I pick ten random questions for you?"

Makie gulped. Her voice was like a sheep in wolves clothing _"Oh no why did I agree to this? Keitaro's gonna find out what a complete dolt I am. _N-no problem! No problem at all!"

Keitaro continued to look at the book, briefly remembering the times he used to spend studying. "Don't be nervous, just take as much time as you need. Okay first question, if A equals eight and B equals nine then what is the value of A plus open brackets A times B close brackets?"

Makie tapped her lower lip with her index finger. It was only after ten or so seconds when her eyes grew wide with surprise. "Eighty."

The manager developed a smile that nearly stretched to his cheeks. "Okay good start. Now let's move on to something a little more difficult…"

(…♥…)

Mana, Yue and Chisame all sat down in the living room watching a trashy romantic comedy. Whilst the native and the blunette were fairly satisfied with the show, Chisame showed a continuous frown. She only socialised with the others because she was using some sort of anti virus program on her laptop, which normally took an hour or so to finish.

Meanwhile however, Makie was still studying and from the look on her face she was enjoying every minute of it. Keitaro was so patient. It was like he had all the time in the world, and he dedicated all of it just to help her. He never showed frustration when Makie took a while answering some of the trickier questions and always praised her for every correct answer. The longer Keitaro spent time with her, the more confident Makie became.

As Makie revised another set of math problems, Keitaro popped a question out of nowhere.

"You're striving for Toudai aren't you?" He asked gently.

Makie slowly looked upwards from her work and into the eyes of the manager. "Yeah… I don't really have much of a chance though."

"Do you have a motive?"

"Huh?"

"You know… like a goal. Why do you want to go there?"

Makie glanced at the side of her room, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Well it's kinda lame… but I just want to keep all my friends because they are all going for Toudai too… and I'm afraid that I'll lose my friends because they made it to Toudai and I didn't."

Keitaro sighed lightly. For a young teenager such as Makie, having no friends was like having a part of you torn away. During Keitaro's school years he only had two friends; Haitani and Shirai. Although they were extremely annoying (and somewhat perverted) people who showed up at the most inconvenient of times, Keitaro would feel completely lost without them.

The manager paused of a second before coming up with a suitable answer. "Sasaki-san… you have a very close bond with all your friends… heh I should know you invited all of them over last year…"

Makie covered her mouth to giggle.

"…anyway… whether you make it to Toudai or not, your friends will always keep in touch. Nothing will keep between you and the ones you like…"

Keitaro checked his watch, surprised to see that the time has flown by. "Woah it's nearly midnight! Sorry Sasaki-san but I have work in the morning. If you're stuck on anything just let me know okay?"

Keitaro was just about to turn the door knob when Makie nearly shouted. "Wait!"

The manager turn around again. "What is it Sasaki-san?"

Makie looked downwards on her deck. A light shade of pink formed over her cheeks. "Um, if you don't mind… can… can I call you… Senpai?"

Keitaro scratched his head, taken back by Makie's request. "Uh… well okay. If you want to that is. Well I better get going. See you tomorrow Sasaki-san."

Makie nodded, feeling so much happier than before. "Good night Kei… um Senpai."

(…♥…)

It was now past midnight and Mana, Makie and Yue had all fallen asleep. Keitaro, with half closed eyes, passed the time by browsing on the Chiu site on his rather old and clunky computer. He was tired but many thoughts deprived him from falling face first into his pillow, so hopefully staring into the bright screen long enough will help.

"_I could do with a drink." _He wondered, his throat feeling quite dry.

At the hallway just beside the manager's room, Chisame paced herself up and down like a caged animal. She knew Keitaro was still awake because of the light glimmering from the bottom of his door.

"_I should apologise to him." _Chisame thought. _"It was my fault. I left the bathroom open and I didn't exactly hold back when I punched him."_

She took a single deep breath, and was just about to knock on the door when Keitaro swung it widely enough to smack Chisame cleanly in the face. Her glasses fell to one side and it was like something out of a cartoon when she panicked herself looking for them. Actually it was like something out of a blue movie when she thought she grasped hold of the door handle… when in fact the 'handle' turned out to be attached to Keitaro's lower abdomen.

It didn't take a second for Chisame to realise this humiliating error.

Burning like a sun attached to a body, Chisame managed to grab her glasses and bolted like lightning to her room, screaming very loudly.

At last Keitaro managed to get to sleep. A pity he collapsed in the hallway instead.

(…♥…)

…

…

…

On the next day the school bell chimed just like it normally would. Like yesterday the students ran as far as their legs could carry them. Makie was the last one to exit again, though her face showed a completely different contrast from before. With dreamy eyes, Makie clutched onto her latest test result like a newborn child. Sixty four percent wasn't exactly the highest score in the class, but it certainly was an amazing improvement from her previous attempts. Even Makie's teacher was genuinely impressed with her performance.

Makie stared into the open sky, watching as a couple of birds flew out of a tree and into the clouds.

"_Senpai…" _She sighed, closing her eyes. _"Thank you."_

Makie's friends ran side by side to greet her…

…this time they all ran happily together, eager to try out the milkshakes this restaurant had to offer.

…

…

_Author: The Sei Fuku outfit is usually the typical school uniform for Japanese students (blue skirts, white top, etc). Hope you enjoy the chapter and I promise things will start to get more interesting._


	6. Girls Night Out

**Chapter Six - Girls Night Out**

…

Keitaro wiped the sweat from his forehead. Like old times he was just by himself, because later on during the afternoon, all the residents decided to spend the rest of the day enjoying the pleasures and excitements Tokyo had to offer. Makie, being the brighter and more ambitious one decided on the idea and the rest agreed to tag along… well more or less anyway. It took over an hour of constant harassment from the pink haired girl before Chisame finally gave in to her repetitive pleas. Since Makie decided it was an all girls outing, naturally this meant Keitaro had to sit this one out. He didn't mind though since he had plenty to occupy his mind.

Keitaro stared through the large window in the living room. Despite being the cold season, the weather was kind of pleasant, if a little breezy. The large trees and a few flowers dotted around were relaxing to look at, yet this gaping wide hole on the side didn't exactly go well with the other scenery.

Ironically, this large patch of dug up earth used to be a special attraction known as the Hinata Hot Springs. When Haruka ran the place, it was by far the most prized landmark of Hinata-Sou. Although this was a long time ago, Keitaro remembered all of this like it was just yesterday. When he was very young, Keitaro would always love venturing into the hot springs, dangling his little legs just so his feet were covered in the warm waters. A simple memory forever stored in his mind. Unfortunately when he took over the business, the hot springs were nothing but a financial problem. The cost of running such a luxury by himself was simply too much to handle so he had to stop it altogether. However… now the manager had four residents who paid their rent on a monthly basis…

Keitaro smiled to himself. Once he finished all the little chores inside Hinata-Sou, he decided to start working on this little luxury that once made the dormitory so famous.

(…♥…)

In the city of Tokyo, Makie, Yue, Chisame and Mana all walked together, earning many curious looks (and the occasional whistle) from many male teenagers. When it came to physical attraction, Mana and Makie came out on top. Mana looked undeniably beautiful and Makie had the best combination of beauty and cuteness any young girl could wish for. Yue was cute in her own way as well, perhaps more so if she learned to smile once in a while. As for Chisame… she just wanted to look invisible, and made a very good job doing just that.

Each girl had their own unique style and fashion. Makie, who had previously purchased many new wardrobes, wore a rose coloured t-shirt with the words 'Rockin' Girl!' printed in a bold white font. She also had bright white trainers and a very stylish pair of neon blue tracksuit trousers. Mana wore a black leather jacket over a thick cottoned red vest, as well as black jeans and dark blue shoes. Yue simply had on a green t-shirt with navy slacks and brown sandals, not exactly fashion material but that didn't bother her in the least. Lastly Chisame's preference was blue, since she had on a denim jacket, jeans and even a cap consisting of the same colour. Underneath the jacket was a grey shirt and on her feet were a pair of easy wearing blue trainers. Not forgetting her glasses of course.

Chisame was the first to speak, though it was more of a grumble than anything else. "So where are we going? _After all Makie you did drag my sorry ass outside in the first place…_"

Makie told Chisame of a small café that she visited with her friends one time. It was called 'The Décor Dream' and it was a pretty little restaurant that was nicely tucked into one of the more quieter locations of Tokyo. The food and drink were quite expensive but the generous portions they each received was well worth the money. All the girls decided to eat outside, though the small white round tables meant that they had to be divided in pairs. Makie sat opposite Yue whilst Mana was with Chisame.

When it came to conversations Makie found herself talking a little _too _much, generally about school and boys. Poor Yue just listened intently to her constant stream of babbling. The tension between Mana and Chisame however seemed slightly awkward. Mana was her normal calm self as she took her time with the vegetarian rice dish she ordered. Chisame slowly ate her western style pizza with a side order of fries. Time passed whilst Chisame tried to look at something to take her attention away. She watched a small carefree child with her usual neutral expression. The child happily held his father's hand whilst holding a bright red balloon with the other. In fact just about everyone in Tokyo had at least a smile on their face, all enjoying the company of their friends and family. Chisame tried making herself as unnoticeable as possible, but her drab personality made her feel quite the opposite instead.

After finishing her last mouthful, Chisame decided to conjure up a conversation with the native girl.

"So Mana-san…"

"Hasegawa-san I just…"

Both of them stopped in mid sentence, surprised that they spoke at the same time.

"Um, you first." Chisame added, feeling a little embarrassed.

"No you, I insist." Mana offered.

Chisame drank the remainder of her strawberry milkshake before talking. "Well, if you don't mind me saying so, what exactly do you do job-wise? You seem to keep mostly to yourself… _a bit like me really…_"

Mana paused for a moment, deciding not to rush headstrong into this fresh debate. She gently placed her cutlery on her empty plate before taking a small sigh. "My… profession is not exactly as one would say… 'normal'."

Chisame smiled slightly, resting the side of her face with her right hand. "Try me."

The native dabbed a napkin on her lips as she continued. "Well… I'm a spiritualist."

Chisame's eyes widened a little. "You talk to the dead?"

"Indeed." Mana nodded. "Certain people; family, friends or otherwise believe they have some kind of unique bond with the ones laid to rest. Therefore, it is my duty to establish a link between the living and the afterlife."

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"Depends on the situation. Sometimes the inner thoughts and secrets of the departed are best left unprovoked. It is a risk some people are willing to take."

Chisame's eyes were fixed onto Mana. "Do the others know about this?"

Mana shook her head. "No… Ayase-san and Sasaki-san are too young to understand, and I would prefer to keep my profession… elusive to them."

"What about the manager?"

"In time perhaps. For now I do not wish to add any complications to his already hard working lifestyle."

"I think you should talk to him about it."

Mana looked at Chisame with curiosity. "Why do you think that Hasegawa-san?"

"Well he just seems like the kind of guy you can trust…" Chisame replied, staring at her food.

"Come on guys!" Makie shouted, waving at the two older girls. "Are you two like gonna talk forever or what?"

Mana and Chisame looked over the table to see Makie and Yue already on the sidewalk. Obviously they finished their meals and paid the bills way before them.

"Best we get going then." Chisame said. Mana simply nodded.

(…♥…)

After a rather delightful meal, Makie had the idea to work off their energy at the 'Ariake Youth Centre', one of the main attractions held in Tokyo. Chisame had a worried look on her face when they all entered the receptionist area. Chisame disliked every sport imaginable, even the ones that had not yet been invented. The queue was filled with people which only made her pain more torturous.

"Hasegawa-san, I take it from your constant trembling you are not very keen." Mana said, who was behind her at the time. It didn't take a scientist to see that Chisame looked like a human vibrator.

"C'mon Chisame-chan! It'll be fun! Trust me!" Makie added, who was in front of Chisame, and behind Yue.

Chisame cocked an eyebrow. _"Fun?"_

…

**Flashback**__

_**When Chisame was six years old**_

_Little Chisame was selected (or rather forced) to be the goalkeeper on the team. She looked like a complete dork with her massive green jumper and red shorts, and she wore these large rounded glasses which filled up the top part of her head. Without warning, a football launched right into her face, knocking her out completely._

"_Nice save Chisame-chan!" One of her team mates called out. "Um… Chisame-chan? Hello?"_

_**When Chisame was eight years old**_

_Little Chisame was playing tennis with her matching white t-shirt, shorts, socks and trainers (plus of course her glasses). Her opponent made a perfect serve right onto her nose. To add insult to injury she was nicknamed 'The space-hopper hooter' until the swelling disappeared._

_**When Chisame was ten years old**_

_Chisame stood at the dead centre of the school gym. This time the chosen sport was dodge ball. She had a look of utmost confusion on her face. Suddenly, twenty basket balls were all thrown from different angles. A few seconds later, she only then understood the concept of the sport when they carried her off in a stretcher._

**End Flashback**__

…

"_Even as I breathe I can still feel the bruises…" _Chisame muttered, wishing her young sporting moments never occurred.

After much waiting, the queue finally descended to the point where the residents were in front of everyone else. After paying the entrance fees, all four girls ventured into the main section of the building. The whole layout looked exactly like a leisure centre, and the ambience was filled with many excited young adults and teenagers. Makie explained to the group that the Ariake Youth Centreis one of the most famous landmarks in all of Tokyo. Whether this rumour was true or just a myth no one knew for sure, but it was certainly very impressive in every aspect. Also, at an additional fee, all sportswear was provided for so you didn't have to bring your own with you.

The centre itself consisted of many large, individual rooms known as 'arenas'.

After some planning, Mana decided to explore the 'First Blood Arena' (martial arts), in which the writing on the door looked like actual blood. Makie challenged Yue as they both entered the 'Racket Haven Arena' (tennis). Chisame thought long and hard what to do, but in the end she shrugged and tried her luck at the 'Amazon Lake Arena' (swimming hall). All of them agreed to meet outside in around one hours time.

With rackets already in hand, it didn't take long for Yue and Makie to disappear from sight.

(…♥…)

Mana turned the door handle slowly, not exactly sure what to expect. The arena looked exactly like a typical training room would; wooden floorboards, a giant yin-yan symbol on the wall and other traditional ornaments were all present and accounted for.

It took a while for Mana to be properly acknowledged. When this happened she quickly became the centre of attention. The arena was filled with men of various shapes and sizes, all dressed in white 'gi' outfits as well as the typical belt colours one earned with more experience.

"Hey hey! Check her out!" One of them called out, not afraid to hide his opinion.

"Yo babe! Wanna take me on? Promise I will go easy on you!" Another shouted.

Mana slowly stared at the competition. She narrowed her eyes as she executed an offensive stance.

(…♥…)

In the ladies dressing room of the Amazon Lake Arena, Chisame stared in disgust at the selection she had to pick from. There were only five left to choose and, from her point of view, all looked like complete fashion disasters. To top things off there was another precaution she had to take. Removing her glasses and her headband could possibly reveal her 'Chiu' identity. All it would take was one screaming fan girl and her cover would be blown in a matter of seconds.

After some preparation, Chisame decided to tuck her hair inside her newly acquired swimsuit, which was bright red with vertical yellow stripes. She also wore extremely thick, neon yellow goggles, a very useful if somewhat insulting way to conceal her alter ego.

Chisame observed herself from one of the wall mirrors.

"_Great… I look like a walking McDonalds logo." _She summarised.

Not knowing what to expect, Chisame walked through a couple of passageways as a few excited kids ran screaming past her. As she looked at the massive swimming pool, the ambience changed dramatically. There were twisty water chutes which children continuously played on, as well as diving boards which some of the more profession swimmers decided to use. Every so often the automated wave machines were switched on, adding a lot more thrills to an already exciting atmosphere.

Chisame smiled slightly, a sight quite rare for her. Compared to most exhausting, nerve wrecking activities, this had to be the best pick of the bunch.

After much exploration Chisame made an amateurish dive by the far end of the pool.

Little did she realise she dived right into the deep end.

Little did she realise… that the deep end was very, _very _deep…

(…♥…)

The hour simply flew by.

Mana casually walked out the way she entered, leaving twenty or so unconscious bodies behind her. She didn't even break a sweat. Makie acknowledged Mana with a smile when the native girl exited outside of the sports centre. Yue just nodded.

"Hey Mana-san!" Makie chirped, waving in a very excitable manner. "Enjoy yourself?" She asked.

"Thoroughly." The native quietly replied.

"Where's Chisame-san?" Yue wondered.

Makie shrugged. "No idea."

After ten minutes elapsed the pink haired girl grew a little impatient, perhaps a tad concerned as well. She checked her watch her few times, wondering what on earth was taking her so long. A short while later and Chisame exploded outside. Everyone was surprised when they all looked at her face, and for good reason too… for it had turned pale blue.

"Don't ask…" Chisame fumed, crushing her feet on the pavement. "Just… don't ask…"

(…♥…)

After some 'mild' provoking from Makie, Chisame finally exposed her inner frustration.

"…I swear I thought I was going to drown!" She continued to shout. "and to make things worse this lifeguard had that damn tongue all the way down my throat! I swear! It feels like my mouth has been violated!"

"Male or female?" Makie asked.

"Female. Yes she was fe… WAIT WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU IMPLYING!"

"Chisame has a girlfriend! Chisame has a girlfriend!"

"You know, when you swim, you are supposed to kick your legs so you can surface quicker." Yue interrupted, raising a finger in the air to explain her point.

Chisame had a smile on her face, though it was a very scary looking smile, plus she had a nervous twitch in her right eye as well. _"I swear! I am going to murder them! I am going to murder them right in the middle of Tokyo!"_

"Oh come on Chisame-chan! Don't be such a sour puss!" Makie said, trying to make Chisame forget about her nightmare ordeal. "Come on! I know a place to take your anger right away!"

"_A mine field?" _Chisame muttered, finding herself gripped tightly as Makie held her arm.

(…♥…)

The sky turned to near darkness. Though it was clearly getting late, Makie was still full of energy. She was like one of those puppies that ran around excitedly for ages before completely passing out.

After some more walking, the girls found themselves staring at a brightly coloured sign connected to one of the most popular night attractions in Tokyo. In big bright letters showed the words 'THE LAZY KUMA' with colours that flashed from yellow to blue in a very fast sequence.

"Um… I don't think this is a good idea." Chisame said, feeling a sense of cold dread inside her.

"Come on! It'll be fun." Makie replied, once again dragging the redhead into unknown territory. Mana and Yue stared at each other and shrugged. Like Chisame, this seemed to be a new experience for them as well.

As they all set foot inside the disco they were greeted with a multitude of colours and lights. The music, which mostly consisted of dance and bass was so thunderously loud that one practically had to shout in order to be heard. No wasting another second, Makie quickly grabbed Yue by the hand and forced her onto the dance floor. Mana and Chisame decided to buy themselves a drink.

Mana was the first to visit the bar, which a young, male member of staff gave her a nod on her arrival.

"What will it be madam?" He asked, rubbing a couple of stained glasses with a cloth.

Mana observed the menu on the wall carefully, seemingly un-phased by all the music surrounding her. "Hmm… I will take the cocktail strawberry twist please."

"Good choice. That'll be eight hundred yen."

After Mana parted with the money, she was presented with a very exotic display. The drink looked like a tall wine glass filled with rich strawberry juice plus a hint of other summery fruits as well. This was all rounded off with a cute little yellow umbrella floating on the top.

"And what would you like sexy specs?" The young staff member said to Chisame.

"_Sexy what…? _Um… I'll take the rum and cherry." Chisame replied without enthusiasm.

"I'm afraid I'm going to need your identification."

"What?! But I'm nineteen! Not some goddamn child!" Chisame ranted, exactly like some goddamn child would.

"I still need your ID."

"You know what? Forget it. I'll just take a coke and lemon." Chisame sighed, feeling somewhat humiliated. "Lots of lemon… _for I am feeling extremely bitter right now."_

"Okay, that'll be six hundred and fifty yen."

As Makie enjoyably taught Yue some new dance tricks, Chisame and Mana decided that all this spinning around was not their kind of style, so they found a nearby table and decided to continue their conversation a few hours ago.

All in all it was a rather exciting if unorthodox finish to the day.

(…♥…)

…

…

Back at Hinata-Sou, Keitaro Urashima collapsed face first into the couch, breathing heavily from all his hard work. After much slavery and many hours later, the hot springs were finally back in production. Sure, there were a few things like some extra vegetation and other exotic accessories needed, but most importantly it still functioned exceptionally well.

And he did all of this just for them.

If Keitaro was still awake, he would have just heard four sets of footsteps making their way up the colossus number of stairs, making a manner of noises from talking to laughter. There was a collective gasp as the four girls all stared in awe at the magnificence of the hot springs bath. The gentle heat emitting from the waters were both pleasant and soothing to look at.

Keitaro left the main door open, allowing the girls to walk in the living room. Trying to make as little sound as possible, they all watched him like they would a sleeping child.

"_Amazing, it must have taken him forever to do this." _Chisame mused, who was surprised as everyone else.

"Well…" Mana softly said with a pleasant smile. "If none of you mind I think I will try out this new luxury."

"Me too." Yue added.

"Can't. I have an early shift, maybe another time." Chisame said. She took a brief look at the sleeping form of Keitaro before heading off upstairs.

Yue turned to face Makie. "What about you Makie-chan?"

"Um… you two go on ahead. I'll catch up with you later." Makie decided, leaving the other two to venture outside.

Making sure not to make a single creak, Makie tip-toed and sat on a chair opposite Keitaro. He was completely spent of energy and showed no hints of even slightly moving. For a few minutes her eyes were still locked on the manager, her smile warm and caring. Makie slowly got up from her seat and ever so carefully stroked his face.

"_Senpai does so much for us…"_

Suddenly Yue poked her head out of nowhere, beckoning Makie to tag along. Yue's clothes were replaced with a single long white towel covering her body.

"Um Makie-chan?" She asked.

Those words quickly forced Makie to return to reality. Grinning she jogged alongside the motionless one, not waiting a second longer to enjoy the relaxing, heated bliss of the hot springs.

…

…

_Author: The Décor Dream, The Lazy Kuma and the Ariake Youth Centre are all fictional places created by me, though the latter is based off a real landmark called the Ariake Coliseum. I'm quite surprised no one has mentioned the hot springs. It's like the main base for any Love Hina Fanfiction, so I had to put the hot springs into play._

_The next chapter will focus on Keitaro and a certain childhood memory._

_Thanks for reading._


	7. Bound by the Promise

**Chapter Seven - Bound by the Promise**

…

The sun shone brightly underneath the beauty of Hinata-Sou. All other elements of the weather were laid to rest, for today, nothing would ruin this joyous, perfect afternoon.

A small boy, aged no more than five found himself slouched over the balcony. His arms took a motive of their own as they swung left and right, forming a pattern of metallic clanging as they touched the iron bars. His hair was short and brown and his wide innocent eyes were a lighter shade of the same colour. His clothing consisted of a bright green t-shirt and a pair of orange shorts. He wore absolutely nothing on his feet.

Although the sun greeted him warmly, the boy did not blink in response. He simply stared into the open sky, waiting for something to happen.

"Haruka obasaaan! I'm booored!" The boy groaned, not wishing to hide his patience.

A female voice called out from the living room. She was in her early twenties, and had a slender body as well as elegant, silky long black hair. Just like most days she would sweep any excess dust with her broom, eager to make her dormitory completely spotless.

"Sorry Kei-kun but I just got off the phone. They will be here in half an hour."

"Aaaaaw! Half an hour? But I wanna see her now!"

Though he was clearly fed up, not once did the boy ever move from the balcony. He liked standing there watching everything below him. In a way it made him feel special, like a young prince looking down from his kingdom.

The boy continued to wait. The ambience of the birds singing and the waves of the hot springs grew louder as everything else became silent. His feet and arms were starting to feel numb since he never moved from that spot.

At last his patience was rewarded. He heard two familiar voices becoming crystal clear as they walked up those forever lasting stairs leading to the dormitory. His eyes and mouth grew wide with excitement. Not wasting another second, the boy scurried down the hallways, through the living room and straight onto the pavement.

It didn't take long for Haruka and Keitaro to greet their guests. Standing opposite the Urashimas was a young woman, about the same age and height as Haruka. She had short blonde hair and the small bump in her stomach suggested she was in her early stages of pregnancy. She wore casual clothes to make herself feel comfortable in her current state.

Standing just a meter apart from Keitaro was a very beautiful young girl. Her hair was golden blonde which was long enough to reach the thighs of her legs. She wore a pretty rose coloured dress and her waist was tied together with a large, sky blue bow. Her socks were white which stretched to her knees, and her black shoes were polished enough to see your own reflection.

But above everything else, her most enchanting feature were her blue eyes. They were wide and radiated pure innocence. They made her look like a fairy tale princess.

Young Keitaro did not hesitate when he arrived to greet the young girl. Rather, he did quite the opposite.

"Hi! Hey! Hiya!" Keitaro said, filled with puppy like excitement. "I got loadsa cool toys and games to show you! Wanna play?"

Before the girl could nod a reply, Keitaro whisked her hand away and ran straight inside the dormitory with her. The two older women could not help but giggle to themselves.

Keitaro and the little girl played every game imaginable. They ranged from a number of board games to a pen and pencil role player which Keitaro invented, called 'Dungeon King'. Keitaro certainly had a wild and ambitious imagination as he thought up of many strange and wonderful locations, and he also created a monster known to him as zombie dolls. He tried to make them sound as scary as possible but that just made the girl cover her mouth to suppress her laughing out loud.

Meanwhile Haruka and the other lady sat on the couch and enjoyed a steaming hot cup of coffee, catching up on old times and not minding the continuous laughter coming from their daughter and nephew.

Haruka sighed as she gently placed her cup on a small round table. "I can't believe you two split up."

The blonde woman mimicked Haruka's actions, taking a brief look outside the window before breathing. "I know… I guess… in the end… we were just two very different people."

Haruka could only nod sadly at her reply, knowing full well what her friend was talking about. A short while later and Haruka found her right sleeve being tugged by her nephew.

"Haruka obasan! Can we play outside? Please?" Keitaro pleaded.

"Of course, just make sure you don't go too far." She replied, earning a double cheer from the happy young children.

(…♥…)

As the day reached an early evening, the sky transformed into an incredible shade of lilac. The beating heat from the sun still remained unchanged.

Keitaro and the girl spent their time together in a large sand pit, making a variety of castles and other little structures using their bucket and spade. Keitaro wasn't especially good at this, since his creations always collapsed the moment he made them.

The girl made a smile as she noticed Keitaro and his misfortune.

"Why don't we build a castle together?" She suggested.

Keitaro nodded, and over time they had created the most perfect sandcastle, complete with pebbles, some dry leaves and a couple of tiny red flags for decoration. Once the castle was finished, the girl stared straight into the sky, squinting slightly from the bright sun.

"Have you… ever heard of Toudai?" The girl asked.

The boy blinked in confusion. "Is it some kind of pokémon?"

"No silly!" She giggled. "It's a university. A bit like school or college."

"Oh." Keitaro replied, looking slightly surprised.

The boy listened intently to her sweet, innocent voice. For someone his age, Keitaro began to feel emotions that he never knew existed.

"They say when you go to Toudai, you can have any kind of job you want!"

"Wow! Can you even be a fireman?"

"Uh-huh!" The girl nodded. "and… well… there is something else about Toudai. Something really special."

"What's that?" Keitaro eagerly asked.

"They say if a boy and a girl go together, they can live happily ever after."

"Woah… hey I know!" Keitaro said with a big smile. "When we get older let's both go to Toudai!"

This took the girl by surprise. She never expected him to say anything like that. To tell the truth, not even the boy knew why he was saying this. He never even liked school let alone a university he never heard of, but this girl was very special to him. She was his best friend… maybe more so then he ever realised…

"Pinky swear?" She asked.

"Pinky swear!" Keitaro grinned.

And with that, the two children tied their little fingers together, forming a bond unbreakable between them. The girl made a quick giggle before wrapping her arms around the bewildered boy…

…gently pressing her lips on his cheek.

(…♥…)

…

…

…

Keitaro stared long and hard at his reflection shown on a silver spoon. His face, once a charming, cute little boy… now replaced with scruffy dark hair and thick, square shaped glasses. In his mind he had transformed into someone disfigured. A freak which no girl would even give him the time of day, let alone fulfil a promise with him so many years ago.

It was early in the morning, just gone seven to be precise. The season of spring was perhaps the more distant of the four. Autumn had the strong gales, winter created the elegance of snow, and summer unleashed a dazzling sunshine… but spring? Spring was like a confused child. Sometimes he would cry… and sometimes he would shine. Today his tears fell from the sky. Nothing overcast, but enough to make anyone feel blue.

Usually, Keitaro would be wide awake and eager to open his little tea shop just like every other weekday. Today… was different. His half slit eyes suggested he just wanted to find a nice comfy pillow and collapse right into it. He had no customers to serve at the moment, which was just as well. With his fatigue he was fortunate enough to serve his own two feet.

Keitaro unconsciously cleaned a few cups and saucers, whilst his mind was completely aloof. Sometimes he would forget his past. Other times it would envelop him.

"_That was sixteen years ago." _He sighed. _"Why am I still thinking about it? She's probably forgotten me by now."_

He somehow tried connecting his past with the four residents of Hinata-Sou. The only two things Keitaro remembered about his promise girl was her blonde hair and adorable eyes. Of course, none of the girls would fit this description. Besides, Yue and Makie were not even born back then, and Mana was from a different country altogether. Chisame? By the time the promise was made, Chisame was still learning to string sentences together, so it couldn't be her.

A few minutes later, Keitaro watched Chisame run past the shop, whilst still trying to properly wear her overcoat. She was obviously late for work again. Just watching that glimpse of her was perhaps his only source of excitement for the morning.

Later on Keitaro finally received a couple of customers… Haitani and Shirai. Although they maintained their happy go lucky attitude, the two were in fact even worse off than Keitaro, financially and romantically. In Haitani's hand was a rolled up newspaper full of job applicants.

"Hey guys." Keitaro greeted his two old friends. "What can I get you two?"

"Yo Keitaro! Double hot chocolate." Haitani replied.

"Same here." Shirai added.

"Copycat." Haitani muttered.

"It happens to be my favourite drink too y'know." Shirai protested.

Haitani rolled his eyes. "Yeah, surprising that all your favourite drinks just so happen to be the same as mine. It's a wonder people would think we were married."

Keitaro made a deadpan stare at his friends, watching them squabble over the silliest of things. As time passed by, Keitaro could count the number of customers with one hand. Realising that today wasn't going to be exceptionally busy, he decided to join his friends, offering them a tray of sandwiches as he did so.

"Hungry?" Keitaro asked, smiling.

"You tired or something?" Shirai said, scratching his chin.

"Yeah we didn't order anything." Haitani added.

Keitaro placed the tray down as he sat opposite them, also lifting his coffee mug from the tray. "On the house."

"Wow thanks!" They both said together.

As the two wolfed down their early lunch, Keitaro had a sad look of wonder in his eyes.

"Have you two… ever been in love?" He asked, his voice sounding rather emotional. This sudden comment caused his friends to choke on their food.

Haitani and Shirai stared at each other before returning their gaze to the manager.

"In love… as in with real people?" Shirai said.

Haitani bonked the smaller one on the head. "Of course he means real people donut head! Erm, you do mean real people don't you?"

"Uh… yes."

The tall one cunningly stroked his chin, as if he were some kind of mastermind or detective. "Yoooou're in love with one of the residents!"

Keitaro's mouth was so wide with shock that a flock of birds could nest in there. "Waaagh! No I'm not! No way! Besides relationships between managers and residents are strictly forbidden!"

"Uh huh, suuure." Haitani grinned, who was now an inch away from Keitaro's face. "So who is it? Makie? Yue? Mana? Oooh I don't blame you if you fancy Mana. She is one hell of a chick!"

"Or is it Chisame?" Shirai added. "I just love her 'come to bed' eyes!"

You could tell Shirai had little to no knowledge when it came to the opposite sex, since Chisame's eyes usually read 'piss off' or 'get outta my face'.

"I'm not in love with any of them!" Keitaro barked, forcing the two to back away an inch. "It's… it's that girl sixteen years ago…"

Upon hearing this, Haitani and Shirai developed a more sympathetic emotion. They were the only people who knew about Keitaro's secret past. Them, and of course Haruka.

"Keitaro…" Haitani began to say, but was abruptly cut off by his fatter friend.

"… you need to let her go man." Shirai continued. "You were only kids back then. She's probably forgotten all about you."

It was the painful truth. As much as Keitaro refused to believe this, Shirai was probably right. All Keitaro could remember was her blonde hair and cute eyes. He couldn't even recall her name.

"I… guess so." Keitaro said, making a groaning sigh afterwards.

"Besides..." Haitani added. "Now you have four ultra sexy girls! And as a bonus, they give you money every month!"

"Um… that's called the rent." Shirai stated.

"Whatever! What I'm saying is, even though you failed your promise, at least your life is ten times better than what it used to be."

"Yeah… yeah you're right." Keitaro replied, absorbing some of Haitani's excitement. "I shouldn't just lie around feeling sorry for myself. I have responsibilities now."

"I feel a toast is in order." Shirai cheered, raising his chocolate filled glass. "A toast to Keitaro's fresh start in life!"

"And perhaps a chance to get laid too!" Haitani added, raising his glass as well.

"A fresh start in life." Keitaro said to himself. "A fresh start…"

With that, the three long time friends clinked their cups together.

(…♥…)

During the early hours of evening, Keitaro didn't socialise so much as he normally would. After greeting the residents and preparing dinner, he decided to walk back to the tea shop where he would finish off a few chores… as well as think about what his friends said earlier. His mind was like a maze. The longer he spent inside his thoughts, the more difficult he found himself escaping from them.

"_Can I really just forget about her? Can I just snap my fingers… and make it all go away? I tried everything to get her back. I passed Toudai… just for a chance to see her face again… but I still never found her... damn… this is eating me inside and out."_

Keitaro closed his eyes as he concentrated hard, hoping to exercise the demons out of his skull.

"_No. No… I have a new life now… one where I am surrounded by people. People that I will earn their trust and hopefully maybe their respect. That… is my new goal in life. That… is my new promise… my promise…"_

"… I promise to ensure the happiness of my new residents!" Keitaro found himself shouting, clenching a fist with all his strength.

(…♥…)

Meanwhile the girls took full advantage of the hot springs, where the full moon emitted a brilliant streak of light through the middle. Chisame was the only one fully clothed, save for her legs and feet which were basking in the hot water.

"Come on Chisame-chan!" Makie cheered on. "There's no deep end for you to drown in!"

Chisame narrowed her eyes, remembering full well of her little swimming incident. "Ha ha. Very funny." She grumbled.

Just then Keitaro walked out of the tea shop, and onto the stony pathway, just a few meters away from the hot springs. Makie quickly spotted the manager and greeting him in her usual shouting, waving crazily kind of way. Keitaro however did not turn around. He just waved whilst still showing his back to them.

"I'm going to have an early night. See you all tomorrow, okay?" He called out.

"Night manager-san." Chisame replied back.

As the door closed behind him, Makie had a large frown on her forehead. "Why didn't he look at us?" She asked.

"Why do you think?" Chisame shot back. "He doesn't want to see us naked obviously… _although he's already caught me in the shower more than a few times…"_

"Hasegawa-san is right." Mana spoke softly. "My instincts at first suggested that Urashima-san created the hot springs to fulfil his perverted desires. Now I can see that this is not the case. This may seem strange to you all… but it feels like I can trust him."

"What do you think Yue-chan?" Makie asked the blunette.

Yue said nothing. Incredibly enough, she was sleeping despite somehow keeping herself afloat.

"Um, is that normal?" Makie said, scratching her head.

Chisame stared at the lifeless statue.

"Nothing she does is normal."

(…♥…)

A few hours later and everyone returned to their rooms, though Keitaro was already in his bed at the time. His head swayed left to right. He was fast asleep but he felt a growling agony inside him. Outside, the weather had changed to a sudden violent breeze. A deep groaning howl made the trees and flowers tremble as if in fear. It was strong enough to send shivers down anyone's spine, no matter how warm their beds were.

From beyond the darkness of the sky, a faint mist travelled ever so slowly towards the dormitory. The full reflection of the moon slowly transformed this unnatural presence into a contrast of shadow and light. Its movement stopped when it approached the window of the manager's bedroom. Although the curtain was drawn there was still a space wide enough to catch a glimpse of his sleeping form. A cold air exhaled from the mist… forming an icy stain on the glass.

Whatever it was… it certainly had a mutual attraction towards the manager…

_(To be continued)_

…

…

_Author: I know this chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I felt it was a good place to finish. Hope you have enjoyed reading so far, because now it is going to get interesting…_


	8. Spiritual Engagement

**Chapter Eight - Spiritual Engagement**

…

The classroom was filled with dropouts, people who had failed to pass their entrance exam. Cram school was designed so the students would learn all the basics and essentials in one year. Consecutive failures would mean the student had to go through the same process over again... that is until they pass… or they simply give up and move on with their lives.

The whole layout of the room wasn't exactly displayed to impress anybody. The walls and floors were coloured a tiresome shade of beige, and the wooden desks had a rough, weathered appearance about them. However, this school was the one and only stepping stone to Toudai.

Keitaro, nearing his twentieth birthday, sat in the dead centre of the room and scribbled recklessly at every source of research the tutor had lectured. Despite his promise, Keitaro had already failed his entrance exam three times, so naturally this made him a three year ronin. Today however, Keitaro was filled with determination, the promise still driving in his veins. He didn't care if he had to go through another three years so long as he was successful in the end.

After countless days studying and countless nights staying awake, Keitaro's big moment finally arrived. The examination room was all too familiar to him, as were the desk layouts and even the stripy yellow pencils each student was issued with at the start.

This time Keitaro would refuse to slack off, to daydream or do anything stupid to hinder his goal. This time he gave it everything he had. He only concentrated on his exam sheet given in front of him. Everything else was null and void.

(…♥…)

A few weeks later and the results were announced. Keitaro had done the impossible. All his hard work had finally paid off. In a months time he would join the other gifted students in Tokyo University… and hopefully find the girl of his dreams.

But… alas… not all dreams do come true…

Day after day Keitaro relentlessly tried to find her, trying to pursue every clue given to him. He ended up with the same knowledge he had when the young girl left his life. His grades at Toudai were failing as well but he didn't seem to care. It was at this stage he came to the painful conclusion. Maybe the promise girl passed and graduated years before he did. Maybe she forgot about the promise and moved on with her life. Whatever the reason, Keitaro Urashima had wasted sixteen years on a dream. He thought his storybook would finally be complete but all he had were empty pages.

(…♥…)

Keitaro sprung out of bed, his face pale and stricken with fear.

"Go away." He pleaded. "I work in Hinata-Sou now. I live with four residents who are happy to live here. I don't need you anymore."

He looked through the slight gap in the window. There was nothing, and all he could hear was a quiet breeze outside. With his throat very dry, Keitaro desperately needed a glass of cold water, or anything refreshing so long as it would force him back to sleep.

As he walked along the corridor, the open door of Mana's room commanded Keitaro's immediate attention. For as long as Keitaro could remember, Mana _never _left her door open and the native girl was nowhere to be seen. Acting on instinct alone Keitaro ran straight outside to the shop, still in his pyjamas. There he saw Mana, whose gaze only focused on the rooftop. Something must had startled her as well because she didn't have time to get changed either, wearing only a cotton white vest and shorts of the same material. As Keitaro walked a few steps closer he noticed a gaseous form on the roof, a presence surrounded by mist.

Upon thorough inspection, it looked almost human-like.

However, from Mana's vision, the mysterious figure revealed to be a lonely female spirit. Despite her ghostly appearance she looked very beautiful… almost spellbinding. Her height was about the same as Chisame and she looked about twenty years old, though like most spirits, she may have died centuries ago. She wore a long dressing gown and her hair was as white as the moon, radiating with a strong glow.

The ghost sat cross legged on the rooftop, covering her eyes because she was ashamed of her sorrow. She quickly turned to face Mana, which caused her to gasp aloud. Mana could see her ruby red eyes, filled with tears which evaporated before touching the ground below. The ghost realised the alarming truth that somebody in this world could see her, just like any normal human being.

"Spirit! Why do you haunt this place?" Mana demanded, her voice strong and confident.

Keitaro's face grew white in an instant. "SPIRIT?!?! AS IN… D-DEAD?!"

Mana grit her teeth, not wanting the company of another this night. "Leave Urashima-san. This does not concern you." She cut off, turning her attention to the ghost once more.

The ghost stared long and hard at the quivering form of the manager. Her head then slowly turned to face the native girl, staring at her sky blue eyes.

"You… you two are… together?!" The ghost asked. Her voice was pure and echoed endlessly into the night.

Mana had a look of wonder on her face. "What do you mean?"

"You two are together." She repeated. "You… two… are… together…"

The ghost turned to face the manager again, this time pointing at him as if he did something wrong.

"You… betrayed me… you… forgot about me… you… broke our promise."

Mana and Keitaro had the same shocked look on their face.

"_What?! Is there a connection between this spirit and the manager?" _The native thought.

Keitaro stood rooted to the spot. "A promise?"

As the spirit became angry, the wind turned to a more aggressive gale which screamed in a manner most displeasing. Nature had sided with her and whatever emotions she felt, the elements in the sky imitated them. Her hair blew wildly, throwing itself through different directions. Her red eyes glowed ferociously.

"YOU BROKE OUR PROMISE." She roared, and lightning struck twice… neither flash making a sound.

Without warning, a bolt of pure electricity struck into Mana's body. She collapsed to the ground, without making so much as a scream. Keitaro remained paralysed before a second bolt struck him to oblivion. His glasses fell from his face and lied just by the side of his motionless hand.

(…♥…)

Makie's eyes shot wide open as the thunder and lightning made its mark nearby the dormitory. She held the bedcovers at tightly as she could.

"_What was that? They said it was going to be rainy tonight, but nothing like this."_

Chisame also woke up, startled, but more so annoyed. She fully covered her head with her pillow.

"_Damn it, and I got an early shift as well. I'll never get back to sleep now."_

Yue opened an eye. She felt a coldness weave through her stomach. Ignoring this sudden chill, she turned to one side and continued to sleep.

(…♥…)

…

…

After a long slumber Keitaro ever so slowly regained consciousness. His eyelids felt like lead.

"_A dream?" _He said quietly to himself.

Without thinking he reached for his glasses on the floor, allowing his vision to properly take a look at the situation. The floor was dull, grey and stony, much like the walls, ceiling and just about everything else around him. Cobwebs, skulls and bones were littered around the place, and looked like they had been for hundreds of years.

Unknown to him, Keitaro found himself placed inside a vast, dank dungeon, with no signs of other life. It was the sort of dark place one would expect to imagine playing a fantasy game. This _had _to be dream… but the cold draft passing through his bed clothes, the gruesome, ghastly sights and the way he could touch the walls… it all felt very real.

"Can anyone hear me?!" He called out, only to hear the echoes of his own voice fading into the far away corridors. "Hasegawa-san…? Tatsumiya-san? Ayase-san? Sasaki-san?"

Keitaro's shouting turned into a faint whimper. _"Please be a dream…"_

(…♥…)

A white van drove further away from a young Keitaro who was desperately trying to catch up to the vehicle.

"Don't forget our promise!" The blonde girl cried from the door window, frantically waving to the boy.

Keitaro stumbled and fell hard on his knees, though the real pain ignited deep within his heart. The way they played together, the way they made a promise for years to come, the way she kissed him on the cheek without feeling any remorse or hesitation. It was friendship in its purest form.

Keitaro concentrated on the van until it disappeared from sight.

"I promise." He weakly replied.

Back at Hinata-Sou, little Keitaro felt anything but excitement. Ever since Haruka's friend and her daughter took a two week holiday in Molmol, the dormitory became very empty. As time passed by some guests stayed over, but this was only for a few days or sometimes just for bed and breakfast. Haruka managed to gain a little financial profit, but no one had wanted to stay in the dormitory as a permanent position. Keitaro felt completely drained of energy. He played all his board games again and again, but the absence of his friend just wasn't the same.

Five days later and Haruka's phone rang. Possibly just another customer. Like every other ordinary day.

"Hinata Residence." Haruka said, placing the remains of her cigarette on an already filled ashtray.

There was a slight pause before somebody spoke on the receiving end. Although she did not show it, this made Haruka feel uneasy.

"Are you Haruka Urashima?" Said a male voice.

"Yes." Haruka replied firmly.

"I… h-have some news for you."

The voice on the other end suddenly became very shaky. He found it very difficult to speak, but Haruka listened intently, taking in every spoken word he said.

Once the news was addressed… Haruka looked horrified. Her face froze and became very pale. She slowly put the phone down.

Keitaro ran down the stairs. "Haruka obasan! Can I go in the hot springs?"

The boy looked at his aunt with confusion, wondering why she looked so freaked out. "Obasan?" He asked again. 

Haruka place a hand over her face, as if masking her new emotions. When the hand moved away, Haruka put on the best smile she could.

"Yes… yes of course you can." She replied, still feeling her inner trauma.

…

…

Two weeks had passed and Keitaro asked her the question she dreaded to hear.

"Haruka obasan, when are they coming back?"

Haruka gently closed her eyes.

"They are… not coming back." She lied. "They have family problems."

"Family problems?"

"Yes."

"But I want to see her!"

…and it was at this moment the main door knocked three times. Haruka, ignoring her nephew, opened it to reveal two very familiar faces. Again, she froze. Her sister and brother in law stood opposite her.

Since the holidays were nearly over they decided to pick up their son, although this was one week earlier from the expected date. This made things very unsettling. They didn't even ring the dormitory before arriving.

"We're here to pick up our son." Keitaro's father said. His voice was very cold, and he spoke to Haruka like an everyday stranger.

Haruka found it hard to speak, what with trying to calm Keitaro down as well. "But… you are…"

"Did you not hear what my husband said?" Keitaro's mother snapped. "Now hand him over or we'll call the police."

Haruka desperately wanted to slap her loud mouthed, aggressive sister, but not in front of their dear son.

"Kei-ken… it's time to go."

Keitaro, as expected, was completely upset, not knowing when or where he was going to next visit his best friend. On top of this now his strict mother and father wanted him to come back. He wailed and screamed until his lungs would burst, but that did not stop his parents from dragging him back to their car.

Haruka's sister slammed the main door shut, causing an almighty bang. Haruka could not contain her emotions any longer.

"Kei-kun… I'm sorry…" Haruka whispered, sobbing delicate tears. "I'm so sorry…"

(…♥…)

Keitaro walked forward through a large number of passageways. He tried his best to ignore the cold numbness creeping into his feet. He just wanted to wake up though he had this worrying feeling he already was awake. After travelling for what seemed like forever, Keitaro finally reached a large, square sized room. There were five wooden doors around him, one in front, two on the left side and two on the right. There was also a small, stony round table, with nothing but a single die placed in the centre of it.

Keitaro looked at all five doors. Each one had a number painted on from two to five, but there was no means to get through any of them. There were no handles or keyholes attached, and they could not be pushed open either.

"This… I remember this room." He said to himself.

Keitaro temporarily forgot his aches and pains, quite fascinated by this creation.

A white flash triggered inside his mind. He suddenly remembered him being back at Hinata-Sou, playing a role playing game with a girl… a girl he now desperately tried to forget.

"_This is the mysterious door room!" A young Keitaro said, trying to make his voice sound like an evil dungeon master. "Which door you choose depends on the roll of the die…"_

_The girl giggled at him. "Then I'll pick it up and roll!" She replied excitedly._

Keitaro was simply astounded that he found himself living in a room created by his own mind. He carefully examined the die as he plucked it from the table. It was as big as his hand and crafted entirely from human bone. As expected the numbers were dotted from one to six, with each dot resembling a dab of blood for that grotesque effect.

"Well… here goes nothing." He said softly, deciding to play along for the time being.

He threw the die as strongly as he could, allowing it to bounce off the wall and onto the floor. Keitaro looked at the result with a neutral expression.

"A one." He mused.

The manager looked at each door, expecting one of them to open. Then he figured out the obvious. There were five doors, labelled two to five.

"Oh that's right." Keitaro remembered, observing the floor to see a large 'one' painted on. "If you roll a one, the whole floor collapses."

He looked down and then realised the horrible truth.

"Oh cr…"

As expected the floor instantly crumbled to pieces and Keitaro plummeted into unknown darkness, screaming until his voice could not be longer heard.

…

…

…

Keitaro slowly regained consciousness for the second time, his previous pain nothing compared to his fresh agony. His body, filled with cuts and bruises, felt like it would give up on him at any given moment. Tired, he looked around. The dungeon looked like a garden stroll compared to where he was now. Wherever this was, it certainly wasn't the sort of place for mortal eyes to gaze upon. Beneath the dungeon was somewhere even darker. A lair reeking of terror.

This new discovery stretched to the point where no walls were found. Across a massive pit of infinite blackness was a rickety, wooden bridge, the kind of structure that would give away if somebody misplaced their footing. There were no other clear way than past that bridge.

Taking one deep breath, Keitaro was about to set foot…

…when dozens of menacing red eyes appeared from the dark. Unnatural voices chattered amongst themselves, voices that were a ghoulish combination of a monster and a child.

One by one they all emerged from the deep. Keitaro had awoken their long lasting slumber.

These hobbit sized creatures were sewn together using decayed human limbs, and attached to their backs were a large pair of skeletal bat wings. Each one moved in a mechanical way, as if controlled by an invisible presence.

Keitaro never knew true fear until this night.

"Ha ha ha… n-n-nice doggies…" He laughed nervously. "Here boys! Fetch!"

He threw a small bone into the abyss, which none of them made any kind of reaction. As a matter of fact his voice triggered more of the small beasts, which in a very short space of time, were within breathing distance of the poor manager. A corrosive stench escaped as they opened their jaws, baring their foul, pointy yellow teeth and slimy green tongues. They were ravenous… and Keitaro was the appetiser, the main course and dessert.

Keitaro screamed as one of them lunged straight towards him, but before it could claim its meal, a blade of pure silver struck right into its cranium. The creature's joy turned into deranged agony when its very skull exploded into an unsavoury mess of green blood and brain.

This sudden action caused all the monsters, as well as Keitaro, to face this mysterious attacker.

Keitaro widely opened his eyes. There, just a few metres away from him was the native woman striking a fearsome fighting stance. Her eyes remained focused on the vicious beasts, all of them now gazing at their latest arrival.

"Urashima-san. Stay behind me." Mana commanded. Keitaro was more than happy to comply, though he was mystified how she could take on all these brutes by herself.

Hell was unleashed.

At a blink of an eye, all of the monsters swarmed into Mana, but unknown to them the palms of her hands were living weapons. Each time she struck one of them, they exploded in a mess similar to the first, but reinforcements quickly arrived. In less than a minute Mana had already felled thirty of the beasts, already poised to strike again.

For a while, it looked as though it was nearly over, but before Mana could relax… an army of horrors quickly rose to the challenge, all hoping to accomplish what their fallen comrades could not. One of these monsters was terrifying enough, but two hundred of them was like staring into a fear beyond nightmares.

…

Mana closed her eyes. Her arms swayed slowly and elegantly whilst the rest of her body remained rooted to the ground. Keitaro observed her with a kind of fascination.

Her eyes opened again, only now its pupils vanished completely, leaving nothing but two glowing white orbs. Everything around her moved slowly, her ambience and her sight now more focused than ever before. Somehow… Mana had altered the realities of time itself.

The first of the creatures rushed manically, but to her, it moved as slowly as sap on a tree. She struck down the monster, then another… followed by literally dozens more. Keitaro watched as his jaw locked open. From his vision, Mana stood completely still, but her arms were flailing around at such speeds even lightning couldn't compare to. There was enough monsters to take down a battlefield of warriors, but when the dust had settled, Mana annihilated every single one of them. She breathed a little, proof that the fight had taken some strain on her body. Her ankles were covered deep in the slime she spilled, and her clothes were now stained with unattractive shades of green. In fact most of the lair had undergone a rather gruesome makeover.

Mana blinked, and her eyes regained their normal form. She spun to face the manager, who was unsurprisingly scared out of his wit. His knees nearly buckled over as he observed the scenery around him.

"Y-you… t-them… d-d-dagger…wh-what? How?!" He quivered, pointing at Mana followed by the carnage she created.

Before Keitaro could form a sentence, Mana snatched the manager's arm and ran boundless strides across the rickety bridge.

"No time to explain." She replied in her usual, calm manner. "First we need to get out of here."

_To be continued…_

…

…

_Author: See you in the next chapter!_


	9. Breaking the Shell

**Chapter Nine - Breaking the Shell**

…

The bridge felt fragile and was about to give away any moment. Mana Tatsumiya sailed past it like the wind, whilst holding a deeply frightened Keitaro Urashima.

"Woah! Hang on! Time out!" Keitaro shouted as he found his feet being dragged across every wooden plank. "Shouldn't we cross carefully?!"

"If we do not run faster there will not _be_ a bridge to cross carefully!" Mana explained, quickening her pace.

Keitaro looked behind him only to find the bridge crumbling away piece by piece. He screamed twice as loud and tightened his grip, causing Mana to wince a little. After exhausting much stamina, the two unlikely heroes breathed heavily as they turned around and watch the remains of the bridge collapse into darkness. The very faint sound of debris hitting the ground made Keitaro swallow a lump in his throat. It would be impossible to recover from a fall that great.

After some much needed recuperation Mana looked at the manager.

"Urashima-san?" She asked.

"Huh?" Keitaro panted. "What is it?"

"Your hand…"

"What about my… oh…"

Realising he was still latched onto her, Keitaro sheepishly returned her hand. Despite living in a place devoid of all humanity, Keitaro felt a slight comfort as he rested on the cold, rocky floor beside her. Before Keitaro could make sense of what just happened, Mana sat up and ordered the manager to follow her.

(…♥…)

The path onward seemed to stretch forever. The ground was dimly lit and everything else pitch black. Mana admitted to herself that it felt strange to have a path shining ahead of them. Her thoughts concluded that someone, or something was baiting them… perhaps leading the two to a trap or worse. Despite her doubts, there was no alternative way. She continued the path alongside Keitaro, keeping all her senses on extreme alert.

The thick tension could kill him a hundred times over. Keitaro already realised what this sickening place truly was. The first room he encountered… the trap… and those malicious, blood thirsty creatures. Although he could scarcely remember every fine detail, he had no doubt in his mind that this very place was created from his imagination so many years ago.

"Dungeon King…" He said to himself.

Mana looked over her shoulder. "Did you say something?"

"Huh? Oh nothing! Nothing at all" Keitaro laughed quietly.

The native narrowed her eyes but decided to walk on. _"Why do I have this feeling… that Urashima-san is hiding something from me?"_

(…♥…)

Along the way was filled with a silent suspense. A few cobwebs and bones were thrown about the place, but nothing Keitaro or Mana had seen before. The occasional screeching sound made Keitaro's hair stand on end, but Mana informed him they were just harmless bats feeding their young.

The path turned to a grinding halt, blocked by giant, steel double doors and each one fitted with a large, circular brass handle.

Mana and Keitaro pulled the handles together with as much strength as they could summon. The door opened slowly and the sound of dense metal grinding with the floor below was truly ear shattering.

They set foot into a small cave where warm waters and steam gracefully greeted their feet. The sight of this cave was astounding. There was no way that such a sinister lair would contain sparkling waterfalls and polished, smooth stones. It felt so out of place, yet so enchanting and real to look at. In a strange way it reminded them of the Hinata Hot Springs.

Leaving Keitaro to his amazement, Mana searched high and low and felt every stone that she thought looked out of place. After much examining there was nothing, not even the slightest hint or clue on how to make progress.

"_Perhaps I made an error in my judgement." _Mana thought, doubting her instincts.

Keitaro scratched his head. "So… what now?" He asked, after keeping silent for such a long time.

"We rest." Mana decided.

Keitaro would love nothing better than to cradle himself against a few rocks, but to rest in a lair filled with unpredictable fear made him think twice.

"You think we'll be safe?"

"You sleep, and I will keep watch." The native woman added.

"You… you sure?"

"Yes."

"But…"

"Urashima-san… please rest."

Keitaro stared at the tall girl. Her eyes looked tired and distressed, so he decided not to harass her with any more questions. Mana watched him as he tried to make himself look comfortable… before finally closing his eyes.

"_There is no doubt in my mind. This illusion is the definite result of the spirit… but what confuses me is how she recognises Urashima-san."_

Mana began to delve deeper into her thoughts. Thoughts that most ordinary people would never need in a lifetime.

"_Soon, all questions will be answered. All secrets will be revealed…"_

(…♥…)

Keitaro's life was turned upside down the moment he was dragged away by his parents. He experienced impossible feelings. Feelings that no child should have. As the days passed by Keitaro felt increasingly empty. Home was where his parents would scold him should he act out of line. School was where children teased him because of the promise he devoted himself to. There was no happy medium for him. His only solitude was bedtime where nobody could bother him until the next day. This agonising cycle continued for most of his young life.

Many years later and his promise was still unfulfilled, despite passing his entrance exams and doing what most people could never achieve. Keitaro had exhausted all of his emotions and returned to Hinata-Sou a lonely man.

But… he wasn't lonely. Not anymore. Haitani and Shirai were always by his side, not forgetting the four people that changed his life last year. With these people around Keitaro finally learned to let go.

Suddenly… darkness. Before Keitaro explored these recent happy memories, two blood red eyes exploded right in front of him. A voice screamed loudly enough to incinerate through his skull.

"**YOU PROMISED."**

(…♥…)

Keitaro gasped for air. Despite the heat of the water he never felt so cold. Instinctively he pulled out the creases of his pyjamas, making sure they covered any exposed areas. He groaned as he stretched his arms.

Through the mist and the waterfalls, Keitaro made a stunning stare as he looked at the native girl. She was a fair distance away and had not yet realised the manager had awoken from his slumber. With her vest and shorts placed neatly on some rocks, Mana closed her eyes as she allowed the waterfall to splash around her naked body. A feeling drove her to turn to one side, and the moment she did that, Keitaro quickly pretended to sleep again.

After wearing her washed clothes, Mana walked slowly and silently towards the manager, who, as luck would have it, had just 'woken up' at that time. They both found themselves sitting next to each other on a smooth patch of ground.

"So… Urashima-san…" Mana said quietly.

Keitaro looked at the side of her, but Mana's sight remained straight ahead.

"…I would be most grateful if you told me about this place."

Keitaro opened his jaw slightly. Mana never was one to make small talk, but how she knew this place was somehow related to him had startled the manager to no end. Keitaro thought about saying 'what do you mean?' but he gathered Mana was not one to toy around, no matter how complicated the conversation.

Both of them had a mysterious past, and Keitaro would be the first to share his secrets with her.

Keitaro took a deep breath. He explained to Mana of his childhood days and how he made a promise to a girl at the tender age of five, of how they would both meet together at Toudai when they were older. He explained how he faintly remembers playing a role playing game called Dungeon King… but they never managed to find time to finish it. Although it was a slight comfort to tell Mana about his younger years, he couldn't help but worry how she would react to all of this.

The native girl remained silent for a moment. Keitaro seized this opportunity to ask her a single question.

"Tatsumiya-san… on the roof… what did you see?"

Mana looked down. There was no way she could lie to him. Not now. Not ever.

"Her spirit." She replied in a whisper.

Keitaro's throat felt dry, finding it very difficult to speak. "You… you mean she is…"

"…yes."

For a moment Keitaro lost all sense of reality. To lose someone close to you is always a tragedy, but to lose that spark, that source of electricity that lived throughout him for over a decade… it was a pain nobody should have to feel. The manager remained in a motionless state. He remained still even though tears ran through his eyes. His mind seeped into darkness and despair.

Mana too began to feel his burden. Even though she remained in solitude at times doesn't mean she was devoid of any emotion. Not knowing how Keitaro would react, Mana reached out and felt the need to touch his shoulder, but a ripple in the water alerted her in an instant. Her senses amplified when the ripple became many. Water began to splash violently and the whole cave started to rumble, forcing Mana and Keitaro to stand up and latch onto each others arms.

A giant beast in the form of a statue had slowly emerged beneath the centre of the cave. With tears still in his eyes, Keitaro gazed at the monstrosity, feeling the essence of terror once again. From its head sprouted two massive horns and its arms, torso and legs possessed enough strength to pulverise a small building. It looked like a massive bull, yet stood upright on its powerful hooves.

The stone crafted minotaur glared at Keitaro with menacing blood red eyes. Steam blasted throughout its nostrils as it snorted, and its deep, booming voice made the water tremble in fear.

"**Hmph. I am surprised you two have made it this far, but know this. As long as I am standing you will never escape."**

"Urashima-san! Take cover!" Mana instructed. Keitaro nodded as he took a few strides back, only watching her as she ran headstrong towards the giant with no fear or remorse.

With narrowed eyes, the minotaur surveyed its prey. **"So be it."**

Mana was the first to strike a blow. The palm of her right hand blasted into the monster's knee, but the resulting impact had no effect, and only served to make her enemy more furious than before. The minotaur tried to snatch her with both hands but Mana easily evaded its clumsy attack. It was a battle of speed versus strength.

Though she remained calm, Mana knew the minotaur was too much for her to handle. It showed no signs of fatigue and every attack she performed failed to penetrate the stone. As an act of desperation, Mana executed an amazing back flip, covering half the distance of the cave. Seizing the moment, she drew three silver daggers and flung them with pinpoint accuracy. All of them were embedded deep within the chest of the beast.

The minotaur looked at the blades and grinned. **"Foolish girl. Do you honestly believe your primitive weapons can harm me?"**

"I wonder." Mana replied with a confident smile.

The beast looked at the daggers again, this time its grin turned to confusion. Each dagger had an explosive, scroll-like tag dangling from the handle. These tags were slowly being devoured by flames, and the moment they were consumed, a massive detonation erupted right in front the monster. Thick smoke launched from all directions.

Keitaro emerged from where he hid. Had Mana defeated the colossus creature?

Mana, breathing heavily, watched on as the dust settled down.

Without warning, a giant hand swooped down and grabbed hold of the surprised woman. Its fingers easily circled around her waist as the minotaur, unharmed, lifted Mana high into the air.

"Tatsumiya-san!" Keitaro shouted, feeling helpless as he watched Mana struggle in vain.

"**I could crush her bones right now." **The minotaur taunted, stretching the girl's arms and legs. **"But alas, I am bound forever by the rules of this pathetic place."**

The statue looked down and then pointed with his free hand to the quivering form of Keitaro, its eyes looking even more serious than before.

"**You, man creature, are the one who is bound by fate. After all, you are the one who made a promise to a little girl sixteen years ago. Correct?"**

Keitaro started to shiver but managed to find himself standing his ground against this giant monstrosity. "Where is she?" He asked. "What happened to her?"

"'**She' is long dead, but her spirit remains inside me. Her hatred, her confusion, her fear. These feelings created me. Because of you I am standing here. I am here because you wanted to move on with your life."**

"I don't care if she's a spirit! I want to see her! NOW!" Keitaro shouted.

"**And thus, this is where the game draws to an end. How it will end**… **is all down to you. After all, is this your game."**

Keitaro continued to stare at the beast, trying not to show any intimidation.

"**I ask but one riddle. Answer correctly and you are free of this world. Failure will result in your friend's death**… **and you will be doomed to stay here forever." **The creature finished, squeezing Mana's thigh for prove that he wasn't joking around. Mana closed her eyes as she felt this excruciating pain.

"NO! Leave her alone!" Keitaro demanded.

"**THEN ANSWER THE RIDDLE! 'Only the blind can see me. Only the soulless can feel me.' WHO AM I?" **

Keitaro stood still. Mana's life was literally hanging by a thread, and he had no idea what the answer may be. Panic and guilt overwhelmed him and his mind started to lose focus.

Mana screamed as she felt her ribcage slowly being tested by the minotaur's fingers. The more pain she suffered, the more the monster laughed.

"**It appears you humans are lacking in intelligence as well."**

Keitaro sunk to his knees. "No… please don't do this. I'm just a nobody. Please spare her and kill me."

"**FOOL! I AM CRUSHING HER **_**BECAUSE**_** OF YOU! GIVE ME AN ANSWER OR SHE DIES!"**

Keitaro wept as newly formed tears fell through his eyes. _"It's all my fault. My promise girl is dead and soon Tatsumiya-san will be too. I deserve to live in this darkness."_

The minotaur continued the pressure on Mana's body.

Mana screamed as loudly as her lungs could take. Her one word echoed through the entire cave.

"KEITARO…"

Keitaro closed his eyes, not wanting to see her agony, nor wanting to hear her wailing voice. A multitude of thoughts were running through his mind.

"_I don't know. It doesn't make any sense. I'm sorry but I don't know the riddle."_

'Only the blind can see me. Only the soulless can feel me…'

"_I doesn't add up. The blind cannot see anything nor can the soulless feel anything…"_

Suddenly Keitaro's eyes burst wide open.

"**Time is up."**

Keitaro stood straight up, staring at the minotaur as if it was his own equal. "THE ANSWER IS NOTHING!"

The minotaur grinned menacingly at the manager. Keitaro's regained confidence had shattered.

"_Oh God… did I answer wrong?"_

The beast stood silently.

…

Cracks began to emerge from its body. More began to appear from its thighs and arms. At first they looked superficial, but then parts of the creation began to break apart and shatter when they made contact below.

Realising that Mana was barely conscious, Keitaro stumbled his footing and ran recklessly towards her. The minotaur's grip on Mana had loosened, allowing her to fall away from its huge hand. Keitaro luckily dodged a few falling body parts and just managed to catch her in time before she fell to her death. Despite her tall appearance, she was surprisingly light to carry.

With the native girl in his arms, Keitaro watched the remains of the minotaur crash to the ground. Its glowing red eyes slowly faded into smouldering black orbs.

As the creature was laid to rest, Mana had awoken from her hellish ordeal. She found herself lost in the moment when she and Keitaro looked at each other in a way young lovers would. Realising his glasses were tilted to one side, Mana readjusted them with a free hand and gently pushed the frame to the bridge of his nose.

Before they could enjoy this hidden discovery, Keitaro sensed the presence of another. Mana, who was still tired and hurt could also feel this new encounter… but compared to Keitaro, the presence felt nowhere near as strong.

In the centre of the cave stood a beautiful woman in her early twenties. Her hair was golden blonde which was long enough to reach the thighs of her legs. She wore a pretty rose coloured dress and her waist was tied together with a large, sky blue bow. Her socks were white which stretched to her knees, and her black shoes were polished enough to see your own reflection.

But above everything else, her most enchanting feature were her wide blue eyes…

His own eyes were enlarged with incredible disbelief. He could scarcely believe his vision.

Keitaro had found her.

The girl placed slowly placed a hand on her heart. _"My curse… has been lifted. I can feel the burden of my pain… drifting away…" _

Gently placing Mana in a comfortable position, Keitaro ran boundless strides towards the girl of her dreams, engulfing her in a powerful embrace. Despite being from another world, her appearance, her emotions and her scent were as real as any human girl. The girl eagerly returned the favour, hugging him with the same amount of strength. No words were spoken, only the language of love, tears and being reunited at long last. Keitaro took his emotions to the next level. Without fear he gently pressed his lips against hers, and the girl found herself lost in her wildest fantasies. Eventually Keitaro parted from his rekindled friendship.

The girl stared at Keitaro with the innocence of a child. Her voice was but a whisper. "But… I don't understand… what about… her?"

"_Her?" _Keitaro thought, and then remembered who the girl was referring to. "Oh… her name is Mana Tatsumiya. She is a friend and resident of Hinata-Sou."

"_Oh no. I made a terrible mistake." _The girl wondered, casting an awkward glance at the native woman. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to cause you any harm."

Mana stood tall and bowed lowly after her reply. "You are forgiven, but please tell me spirit, what is your name?"

Keitaro gulped. Her name. It was what he longed to hear.

The girl thought long and hard and then it came to her in a flash of light.

"Sayo." She answered slowly. "My name is Sayo… and you… you are Ke… Keitaro…" she added, waving a weary finger at the managers face.

Keitaro nodded as a tear fell down his cheek. "You remembered my name! I'm Keitaro! Pleased to meet you Sayo-san!"

Sayo's delighted smile quickly turned to sadness. Mana observed her emotions, remembering the painful truth. It took Keitaro a while to figure out, but when he did, his face faltered.

"Keitaro-kun…" Sayo said softly. "I'm not alive…"

Keitaro smiled sadly. "I know… but I still love you."

"But our promise… we were supposed to go to Toudai together."

He stared her straight in the eye, his smile bright and wide.

"We found each other. That's all that matters Sayo-san."

"My Kei-kun… I love you with all my heart."

Sayo leaned forward and kissed the promised boy, embracing their love once more. Only this time the cave surrounding them had gradually faded away, replaced with a very familiar and very real scenery. Nature welcomed Keitaro, as an icy chill reached the back of his neck.

"_We are back." _Mana summarised. Instinctively, she looked through the window and stared at the living room clock. Not a single minute had passed by.

Keitaro and Sayo found themselves kneeling on the sandpit they played with so many years ago. They hugged each other as tightly as possible, neither of them daring to let go. Unfortunately time was running out. Though still beautiful, Sayo had retained her spiritual form.

Mana looked at the beautiful spectacle laid before her. She felt guilty for intruding but also emotionally driven as she observed the magic taking place. She spoke no words, and her mind was completely occupied.

"Farewell Kei-kun. May you find true love once again." Sayo whispered, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Goodbye Sayo-san. I will always miss you." Keitaro whispered in return.

After saying their final words together, Sayo slowly transformed into an immaculate orb of bright light. A moment later she exploded into a mass of dazzling white stars, each one finding a different journey towards the night sky.

Keitaro lowered his head and cried endless tears. Tears of joy after searching for an eternity for her. Tears of pain as she had to leave his side once again. Tears of relief… because as of this night, his childhood quest had finally come to an end.

They never made it to Toudai together, but seeing his promise girl was a memory Keitaro will live with for the rest of his life.

…

…

…

The stars at night…

…

…

…

…they were beautiful.

…

…

_Author: Well it turned out a little darker than expected, but I hope you enjoyed reading it nonetheless. The next few chapters will be a little more light hearted. See you soon._


	10. Meet the Sasakis!

**Chapter Ten - Meet the Sasakis!**

…

Today was the start of another fresh new weekend. After waking up later than usual, Keitaro warmly greeted the residents, prepared breakfast and popped back into his room to spend the rest of the morning idling around. Switching on his outdated computer, the manager stretched his arms and stared lovingly at his favourite website. On the front page, Chiu had a winking smile on her face, a cheeky grin which could sweep a regiment off their feet. This time the beautiful net idol opted for a more erotic style of fashion. She wore a very revealing jet black bikini which was compromised with a pair of sky blue cat ears and matching tail.

All of a sudden, Keitaro shook his head and closed the site down. He felt ashamed. It was only a short while ago since Sayo, the promise girl of his dreams left him, and there he was, looking at smut like she had never existed.

Keitaro stared long and hard at his desktop, a blank, blue screen with a few ancient programs he never got round to uninstalling. It was at this point a few memories flashed inside him, memories not so long ago that drastically altered his perspective of life.

Helping Makie with her studying. He felt a kind warmth emitting from the party girl. Beneath that hyper exterior was a person gentle and caring. Now every time they bumped into each other, Makie would blush slightly, which of course Keitaro would be completely clueless as of why.

Saving Mana from a ghastly death. Despite the size difference, Mana felt so small in his arms. For a moment she dropped her usual personality in favour for someone more… innocent. Someone… who had now developed many untested emotions. To show her gratitude, Mana elected to make herself more useful such as cleaning the living room and even help with the cooking. She also invited the manager to train with her, from meditation to basic fighting techniques. This experience with Keitaro has certainly allowed her to feel more open minded as opposed to her once secluded self.

The third memory, was of course… her.

"_Farewell Kei-kun. May you find true love once again.__"_

Her lips. Her warmth. Her voice. Thinking about Sayo gave the manager goose bumps all over. Even his wildest imagination paled when compared to her physical beauty. No words could properly describe how kind, gentle and amazing his promise girl really was.

Keitaro found it painful to lose his promise girl. Very painful. Despite feeling this way, he and Mana made an oath not to tell anyone. Keitaro concluded they had their own lives to be getting on with, and decided not to share his burden upon them.

Those last words before she disappeared…

"True love once again."

Keitaro slowly repeated those four words over and over as he stared into space.

(…♥…)

Chisame cracked her knuckles as she finished redesigning the front page of her website. She was tired, but looked fairly happy with herself.

"That oughta keep them satisfied." She grinned, undressing her bikini and replacing it with her normal clothes wear.

After updating her site yet again, Chisame did what she did every other day... surf the web to find out how far she outranked the net idol competition, and to play competitive online games. Only today there wasn't any major tournaments to participate in, and her playing games for fun just wasn't really… well… fun.

Chisame sighed. There was this awkward little gap in her lifestyle which she didn't know how to fill.

"_Suppose it won't hurt to socialise with them." _She mused, drumming her fingers on the touch pad. Besides, she figured it was usually this time of day when Keitaro would pester her by knocking the door.

Switching on her screensaver and padlocking the door behind her, Chisame decided to mix in with the motley crew known as the residents.

(…♥…)

As time passed by, Keitaro decided to join Yue on the living room couch. Yue was, as always, watching a cartoon whilst drinking a carton of freshly squeezed concentrated liquorice with turbo laxative. How she managed this far without needing the toilet was a feat unthinkable. Feeling nervous from all this silence, Keitaro decided to start a conversation with her. Again, a feat unthinkable.

"Um, y'know Ayase-san…" Keitaro began, scratching the top of his head. "Those drinks I buy for you. They're kind of… expensive."

No reply, only the sound of straw slurping liquid.

"I'm afraid I would have to add these costs to your monthly rent."

Yue made no effort to protest. Knowing her, she would probably sacrifice a limb for another drink.

"Why do you have those drinks anyway? Why not something like orange juice?"

Her eyes shifted to the manager's side.

"I don't like orange."

"Okay what about apple?"

"I don't like apple."

"What about… fruit mix?"

This time her whole head turned to face him. "Summer fruit mix or autumn fruit mix?"

"Gee I don't know… either of them."

Only to return back to the television. "I don't like either of them."

Realising this debate was going round in circles, Keitaro gave up and tried to do something a little more productive. He picked up a newspaper from a small round table and decided to catch up on the recent events. Now Yue and Keitaro had additional company as Chisame rummaged around in the kitchen to fill up her cup of coffee with as much sugar as humanly possible.

"Hi Hasegawa-san." Keitaro said, peeking up from the paper.

"Hey." Chisame grumbled her greeting, ever so desperate to slurp into her daily fix.

Keitaro then stole a glance outside the large window, where one could see a section of the hot springs and a few attractive large trees. Mana, dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans, performed a selection of arm thrusts and roundhouse sweeps, all without moving a single inch from where she stood. Chisame looked at Keitaro with confusion before too gazing in the same direction as the manager. Watching the native woman made her raise an eyebrow.

"_Just a spiritualist huh?" _She thought, not knowing how much of a fighting background Mana really had. Keitaro was the only one who experienced her true strength.

Shortly afterwards Mana joined the trio, greeting everyone in her usual way whilst dabbing a white towel on her forehead.

"_You know… this is kind of nice." _Keitaro wondered to himself. _"All my chores are nearly done and everyone seems to be happy with one another. Yeah… today is going to be…"_

Now normally Makie would happily skip out of her room and downstairs, her cuteness radiating all of Hinata-Sou. This time she ran into the living room with all the grace of a possessed elephant. Makie looked clearly distressed. Her pretty short hair was now all scruffy with most of it all over her eyes, her face looked two shades lighter than her normal colour, and her entire body was shaking like no tomorrow.

Chisame turned around her looked at her like some kind of alien. "What the hell happened to you?" She bluntly asked.

Makie didn't respond for a moment since she was too busy biting the remainder of her fingernails. Taking many short breaths she then ran straight into her manager, tearing his newspaper in two in the process.

"SENPAISENPAISENPAISENPAISENPAAAAAI!" She screamed, shaking him in every possible direction.

Keitaro was quick to be infected by Makie's panic attack. "What's wrong Sasaki-san? Is it a mouse? Or a rat? OH MY GOD! IS YOUR ROOM ON FIRE?!?"

"NONONO! WORSE! IT'S…"

Suddenly Yue stood up from the couch, summarising the situation whilst wearing a detective hat and carrying a toy pipe. "I believe I know why Makie-san is making such a commotion."

The room fell silent as the blunette became the centre of attention. Yue walked left and right as she spoke her mind.

"When I noticed Keitaro-san walking down the stairs, he seemed a little quieter than usual, possibly because he was hiding a deep secret."

"Secret?"Keitaro repeated.

Yue puffed into her pipe, producing many tiny water bubbles before continuing. "And now after seeing Makie-san in a complete state of shock, as well as her seeking the manager as a source of comfort, I can only summarise a single conclusion."

She then swiftly turned and pointed at Makie with utmost authority.

"You… are pregnant."

"WHHAAAT?!?!" Keitaro, Makie and Chisame screamed at once. Mana remained silent, but was still shocked like everyone else.

"I AM NOT PREGNANT!" Makie protested angrily. She ran all the way upstairs to her room, and then back downstairs again carrying a pillow. Feathers flew everywhere as she gave Yue an almighty clout.

Mana tried to be the peacemaker, trying to calm the pink haired one down. "Sasaki-san, would you please refrain yourself and explain to us your problem?"

Makie whipped out her mobile phone and shoved it a centimetre away from Keitaro's eyes. Side by side, Mana and Chisame joined the manager, pressing their faces next to his.

The three of them read the text message sent to Makie's phone.

**Hey Makie-chan! It has been a while since you left so I decided to surprise my cute button nosed popsicle! I'll be visiting your place about 12.30! Have a hot steaming cup of cocoa ready for me!**

**Okasan **

"Your mum is visiting us?!" Chisame reacted. "That's… well… actually that doesn't sound so bad."

"Aaau! But you don't know my mother!" Makie whined. "She's like, so embarrassing!"

Chisame chose not to reply, instead crossing her arms and smiling to herself.

"What's so funny?!" Makie barked.

Chisame quietly chuckled. "Oh nothing… popsicle."

"Grrr!"

"Makie-san, Chisame-san." Mana ordered, cutting the tension between the two girls. "We don't have much time until she arrives. It is now noon…"

"…which means we have less than half an hour!" Keitaro finished. "Okay, I'll prepare the lunch."

"I will assist." Mana decided.

"I'll sweep the living room and upstairs!" Makie added, already feeling exhausted.

Mana and Makie both briefly looked at Chisame.

"Alright fine." She sighed. "I'll clean up the hot springs and keep an eye out for Makie's mother."

"Thanks Hasegawa-san." Keitaro said, who was already preparing clean cups and plates.

"Feh. Whatever."

As everyone got ready for their task at hand, Yue still remained flat out on the floor, unconsciously speaking to herself about white feathers.

(…♥…)

Twenty miles away from Hinata-Sou, a small, lime green automobile found itself stuck in very heavy traffic. Saturday afternoons in Tokyo were normally very busy, but an overturned lorry only served to delay the wait. However, the female driver remained calm as she carefully retrieved some lip gloss from her handbag. After a light makeover her lips were now glossy pink with traces of sparkling glitter around them. She looked at the front mirror and gave herself a big wide smile.

The car radio played an embarrassingly high volume of western style music, the kind of music that no teenager would be caught dead listening to. From the back row, two little voices continuously mumbled to themselves. Their identities remained hidden behind the car seats.

"Are we there yet?" One of them groaned.

The woman sighed slightly as she replied. "Aww, are my cute little angels bored? Well it shouldn't be long now…"

(…♥…)

Back in the dormitory, Makie had nearly finished mopping up all the dirt and dust. She was quite flustered, though that was probably due to her nervousness. She took many deep breaths but she secretly knew what her mother was capable of, and that was humiliating her to no end.

Yue remained motionless, Makie's recent outburst still left her dazed.

In the kitchen, the chemistry between Mana and Keitaro felt slightly awkward. The incident with the illusions and the promise girl had definitely changed Mana's perspective of the bumbling manager. She always remained calm no matter how wild or dire the situation. Now, she found herself lost for words, just by being near the guy.

"Urashima-san, I think we are out of bread."

"It's at the top self."

"Oh… oh of course it is. Th-thanks."

"No problem."

And soon afterwards, the two of them touched each others hands as they both reached for the kitchen knife. For a woman full of stamina, Mana had practically ran out of breath.

"Tatsumiya-san! Are you okay?" Keitaro asked, ever the concerned gentleman.

Mana swallowed a lump in her throat. She didn't know whether to feel scared, excited or bewildered, so she just settled for all three.

"Yes! Yes I am well thank you."

(…♥…)

By the hot springs, Chisame swept the fallen leaves with a rather primitive but sturdy wooden rake. The work was certainly exhausting since she wasn't used to work on a Saturday. Despite this she didn't mind. In fact Chisame had a wicked smile across her face. Since day one, Makie had insulted, annoyed, frustrated and ridiculed her to the point where she took her anger out on her own laptop. She hated the way Makie would always picture her being with the manager, and making many sleazy jokes in the process. It made her mad. There was no way she would be hitched up with a nervous, stuttering person like him.

But those times were going to change. This time Chisame had the ace up her sleeve, and that ace was called Makie's mother.

Footsteps were heard, gradually getting louder as they made their way up the stairs leading to the dormitory.

"_She's here!" _Chisame realised, placing the rake to one side before alerting the others.

(…♥…)

Considering they had less than thirty minutes, every room of Hinata-Sou sparkled like never before. Everything was spotless, everything was clean… all that had to do now was play the waiting game.

"She's on her way." Chisame alerted everyone as she opened the main door.

Mana coughed politely as she addressed the manager. "Ahem. Manager-san, if you don't mind would you allow me the honour of greeting Makie's mother firsthand?"

"Um… sure." Keitaro said, feeling a little confused.

Chisame raised an eyebrow whilst Makie was still trying to spring some life back into Yue. _"What's up with her?"_

As three loud knocks were heard, Mana calmly approached the main door whilst Keitaro, Chisame and Makie stood in a horizontal line behind the couch. Yue was still out.

The door slowly opened, revealing a woman most beautiful and enchanting. Though in her late thirties, her looks made the woman at least ten years younger. Her height slightly exceeded above Keitaro so compared to Mana she stood just above her shoulders. Her hairstyle was also similar to the native girl, though it was coloured violet and looked more vibrant. The rest of her looked exactly how Makie would look when she reached adulthood. Her lips, as revealed earlier, were a bright glossy pink and her cheeks were lightly dabbed with makeup, altogether enhancing her beauty. Strapped around her shoulder was a small, leather black handbag.

But on top of all this, her more noticeable assets were her huge breasts. They tried in vain to escape from the ever so tight, white shirt she wore, making her chest look like a ticking time bomb. Also, her short green skirt and pink high heels revealed her slender legs and a great portion of her thighs.

"Good afternoon." Mana said formerly, bowing lowly on her arrival. "My name is Mana Tatsumiya, one of the residents of Hinata-Sou."

After her greeting, Mana found herself unwillingly staring at the woman's chest. Four buttons were undone from the collar, giving the native girl plenty of eye candy.

"_Goodness me! Her dress wear is rather… exposing…"_

Makie's mother made a stunning eye smile. Her voice was bright and chirpy, like birds on a summery morning.

"Hello there! I'm Miwa. Pleasure to meet you."

After a brief how-do-you-do Mana guided Miwa through the hallway and into the living room. For the first time in three months, Makie's mother saw her baby daughter. In her eyes, Makie had grown so much but she still had the tiny smile, button nose and innocent eyes her mother remembered all too well. Tears streamed down her face as she lifted her beloved girl and cuddled her in the strongest hold she could manage.

"Hey okaasan." Makie said, her voice muffled inside her mother's comfort. Makie was certainly happy to see her, but also felt increasingly nervous. A cold dread filled inside her. She had a secret feeling today was not going to run smoothly at all.

Chisame and Keitaro looked at Miwa in her overjoyed state. Of course the first thing that sprung to their minds were these humongous orbs even Photoshock could not compete with. Chisame's eyes almost popped out of their glasses whilst the manager had a fiendish time controlling his nose fluid.

After a long reunion, Miwa detached herself from her daughter, who gently gasped for air. She then greeted Chisame by clasping her hands together, and did the same to Yue as well, even though Yue was still out of action.

Miwa then turned to face Keitaro. She squealed a delighted noise and found herself latching onto him as tightly as she did with her daughter.

"So you must be her boyfriend!" Miwa said, nursing him like the son she never had.

"Heh… um… that's right!" Makie replied, lowering her face to the ground.

Chisame and Mana instantly shot a surprised stare into Makie's direction. Makie just stood in the centre of it all, her smile trembling and her chest sharply breathing in and out. Keitaro didn't know how to react, mainly because he found himself forced right into Miwa's vortex like cleavage.

Miwa finally let go of the crushed manager and performed a fancy twirl which was her unique way of examining different surroundings.

"My, my! Aren't we all looking stunning?" She said, radiating with happiness. "Fufu! It's a wonder why you don't call this place Hentai-Sou!"

"Eh… ahahaha!" Makie nervously laughed, rubbing the back of her head. She quickly decided to change the subject. "So how are the twins doing? Manage to find a babysitter for them?"

"Huh…? Oh… oh my goodness!" Miwa gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "They're still in the car! Excuse me everyone."

Makie watched her mother dart out of the dormitory. Then a fatal dread crept inside her.

"Oh no… oh no… OH NO! D-d-don't tell me she brought them with her!" She complained, clutching her hands on her head.

Chisame felt like her stomach was in knots. _"I really don't like the sound of this…"_

"Hmm." Mana thought aloud. "I hope we made enough sandwiches."

The redhead just closed her eyes, hardly believing what the native girl just said. "I think that's the least of our troubles."

She then gave Makie a cold stare. One that made most cold stares feel warm and fuzzy.

"So… Keitaro is your boyfriend is he?"

Keitaro's jaw locked, still finding it hard to believe.

Makie laughed, at the same time feeling very scared. "Uh… it's a long story…"

With her index finger, Chisame pushed back her glasses, waiting for the inevitable slaughter to commence.

"_Oh I do believe I have an incline of what's going on here. You only moved to Hinata-Sou, because you said to your mother that you have a boyfriend who lives here… and, lo and behold, he just so happens to be the manager. Now your mother has made a surprise visit and she really thinks you two are an item. Makie, you madam, are digging a very large hole."_

At long last Yue finally rose from the couch, not knowing that Makie's mother had laid foot here. She decided to get some fresh air but the second she opened the main door, a double flying kick sent her airborne into the corner of the room.

"TA DA!" Two girls screamed, clearly beyond hyperactive.

Back in the living room, Makie's family and Keitaro's residents stood opposite each another. In front of Miwa were two girls, nearly identical. They were both ten years old and looked exactly how Makie would look if she were six years younger. They both stood at the same height as Yue, and one could tell from their faces they were highly mischievous. If there was one difference between them, it would be their hairstyles. The girl on the right had her hair tied up at the sides, whilst the girl on the right had her hair done up in a Chinese chignon fashion.

There was a tense air surrounding the residents.

Miwa placed one hand each on top of their little heads. "Everyone I would like you to meet Fuuka-chan and Fumika-chan! My ever so darling twins!"

"Hi Makie-chan!" The twins shouted together, waving frantically at their older sister.

"H-hey you guys!" Makie stuttered, half looking at them and half looking at her feet. "Long time no see! _Please God kill me now…"_

"Welcome to Hinata-Sou." Keitaro, Chisame and Mana greeted, all bowing at the same time.

The twins were a bit confused from this gracious introduction. They both placed a finger on their lips, wondering how to return the gesture. After a few seconds, a shining light bulb appeared above them. They confirmed this idea by simply nodding to each other. They looked at the strangers in a standard, regular kind of way.

Without warning they both blew massive raspberries at them.

_To be continued…_

…

…

_Author: Miwa is my first original character for the story, so I hope you'll enjoy her (ahem) company. Can Makie survive the embarrassing wrath of her family? Find out in the next chapter!_


	11. Family Calamity!

**Chapter Eleven - Family Calamity!**

…

Lunchtime was a quiet affair… for the time being at least.

Keitaro, the residents and Makie's family were all gathered around the rectangular dining table, which had just enough space to squeeze everyone a seat. Food was plentiful. Everyone had a small bowl of miso soup with some seasoned, buttered rolls as a side dish. For anyone still hungry there was a traditional selection of triangle sandwiches displayed in the middle, with many colourful, tasty flavours to choose from.

Makie and her mother sat opposite from the far ends. Just out of instinct, both of them looked at each other, but Miwa made a simple eye smile to assure her daughter everything was going to be okay. Of course, hell's temperature would have plummeted below freezing before that was going to happen.

The twins made a frowning stare when the soup was handed out to them. They just wanted something to scoff rapidly, not some beige coloured, weird looking liquid. After some gentle encouragement from their mother, Fuuka and Fumika reluctantly ate their food. They made these really annoying slurping sounds which nearly drove Chisame insane.

Shortly afterwards, Yue, of all people decided to break the silence. She leaned a little towards the table and then turned to face Makie's mother.

"Miwa-san." She monotonously said.

Miwa looked vacantly at the blunette as she dabbed her lips with a napkin. "Hmm?"

"Are those real?" Yue asked, pointing.

All spoons dropped to their plates.

"YUE-CHAN!" Makie rose from the table and shouted.

Miwa had a puzzled look on her face. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Whilst Chisame merely shoved a hand on hers. _"Your eyelashes. Geez what do you think?"_

Then the question suddenly struck her. "Oh! You mean _those_." Miwa realised, tightly groping her 'other' twins.

Keitaro, who sat close to Makie clenched a shaky fist. It felt like a massive claw had just crushed his throat, and was still grasping what was now the remainder of his life.

"I'm sorry dear, but they are real, just like the rest of me." She added. "I guess it just runs in the family. Besides… I reckon Makie-chan will end up having bigger breasts than me!"

"Ha ha!" Fuuka laughed, dribbling soup all over her clothes. "Makie-chan's gonna be a big tit monster!"

"Nya nya!" Fumika chortled, bits of bread falling out of her big mouth. "Makie-chan the tit monster's gonna devour us all!"

Chisame stared at his soup, taking tiny mouthfuls whilst trying her best not to participate in this obnoxious debate. _"I really, really dislike those twins."_

"Shut up you two!" Makie loudly ordered, already thoroughly pissed off.

"Fuuka-chan, Fumika-chan, please behave." Miwa gently scolded the small girls. "And mind your manners."

"Yes okaasan." The twins grumbled.

"And take your elbows off the table."

"Yes okaasan."

"And Yue-chan, no slouching."

"Yes okaasan." Yue replied.

"Just how big are they?" Mana entered the topic, quickly gulping at what she just said. _"Did I just say that aloud?!"_

"MANA-SAN?!" Makie shouted, though she was more shocked than angry since it was coming from Mana Tatsumiya, the supposedly more mature one of the group.

Mana refrained herself in an instant. "Sorry."

Miwa placed a finger on her lips. "Hmm… I'm not sure… oh wait that's right! It's labelled on the inside of my bra!"

"Oh no…okaasan… no." Makie faintly cried out.

The residents stared at her in complete shock as Makie's mother casually removed her bra from the back of her shirt. This would not have been so bad if the material of the shirt was reasonably thick, but it was wafer thin, so her feminine figure was slightly exposed.

The moment Miwa told everyone her size Keitaro nearly threw up. It was indeed a viciously high number. She fastened her bra up again, but it was much too late for the manager. His miso soup now had the additional seasoning of a crimson waterfall.

Chisame looked up from her food and noticed. "Manager-san!" She half shouted.

"Huh?" Keitaro replied, only noticing now where that splashing sound was coming from. "Oh… OH HOLY CRAP!"

Keitaro quickly pulled away from his chair and ran like a maniac upstairs to the bathroom.

"Oh my." Miwa said with concern. "I hope he's alright."

Makie whispered into her bowl.

"_Sorry Senpai." _

(…♥…)

Keitaro removed his square glasses and placed them on the side of the sink. Pinching his nose for five minutes eventually stopped the flow of his bleeding. Unfortunately the pornographic image was now painted inside his mind. On the wall mirror he gazed lamely at his reflection, watching in awe as it transformed into the braless Miwa. She giggled as she shook her body the way an exotic dancer would.

"_Hey Kei-kuuun." _The image taunted him, using a very seductive voice. _"Why don't you play with me? Or maybe you would prefer to play with __them?__"_

Keitaro stood zombified for a second before clutching his skull in a state of mental agony. _"No! As the manager of Hinata-Sou I cannot fall in love with any of the residences… especially their own mothers! It's… it's so wrong!"_

Suddenly Chisame blasted into the bathroom, her nose almost bleeding as badly. She ignored Keitaro for a while, concentrating on tearing away many pieces of toilet paper to shove up her nostrils.

"H-Hasegawa-san?" Keitaro said with surprise.

Chisame was straight to the point with her story. "That woman is so careless! She only gone and split her glass of water all over herself! I could see through them like tracing paper!"

Only then she realised Keitaro was standing next to her. _"Shit! I forgot about the manager being here! _Um… hi."

Keitaro had now developed two new thoughts. Miwa's wet clothes… and Chisame staring at her with a dripping nose. _"Oh my God! Hasegawa-san is… attracted to other women?!"_

One again his nostrils showered with a familiar red fluid.

"Manager-san! Your nose again!" Chisame realised, instinctively grabbing hold of his nose.

"Wait! What about yours?!" Keitaro replied, snatching the net idols nose in return.

Both of them stared at each other in a dumbstruck way. It certainly looked very odd to see them like this.

"Erm… dry are de dolding deech dubbers dobe?" She asked, sounding very silly.

Keitaro shrugged. "Dunno."

After the count of ten, both of them let go, simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief when the bleeding stopped. After the confusion and panic, it turned out to be quite an interesting little scenario. Keitaro could not remember the last time he and Chisame were this close together. He found his regular breathing pattern altered to short gasps of air, and there was a little heat brimming from his ears. Chisame merely frowned and did little else other than wonder why the manager was acting so weird. Then again Keitaro acting weird wasn't exactly a new experience for her.

Feeling the need to scratch his neck, Keitaro decided to create some small talk. "So um, what do you think of Sasaki-san and her family?"

Chisame huffed as she shoved her hands in her jean pockets. "They're all evil. Makie included."

"Don't you think…"

"What?"

"…don't you think that's kind of harsh?"

Chisame stole a surprised look at the manager before sharply turning away. "No, I think it's kind of realistic."

As Keitaro looked away in silence, the redhead decided whether or not she should tell him about this ridiculous farce of being Makie's fake boyfriend. It was no joke that Chisame loathed the pink haired girl with every fibre in her body, especially after since she pulled this wacky stunt on everyone. She also developed more of a disliking towards Keitaro, because he just went along with it instead of protesting at the start. In the end she sighed, concluding that her manager is mature enough to solve this problem by himself.

Chisame tilted her head a little and stared at the manager once more, noticing quite a change in the face department.

"_He certainly looks a lot different without his glasses." _She mused.

As soon as Keitaro faced her again, Chisame quickly found herself gazing at her shoes.

The distant sounds of cups, plates and bowls being put away by Mana meant everyone had finished their lunch. The two of them both figured out their food was picked up as well, considering human gore and miso soup wasn't exactly an acquired taste.

Chisame gulped when she heard the sudden sound of clomping feet belonging to Fuuka and Fumika. Her heart nearly struck out when she thought of something. What if the twins stormed into the bathroom only to find herself and Keitaro close together? It would be a misunderstanding on top of an already fragile problem.

Fortunately they ran straight past the bathroom, giggling away like the crazy girls they are. This put Chisame on alert as she tried to figure out what they could be up to. She carefully pressed an ear on the bathroom door, whilst Keitaro just stood there in his usual wondering state.

Chisame could just about hear their mischievous little whispers.

"Pssst! Hey Fumika-chan!"

"What is it Fuuka-chan?"

"Look what I found in Makie-chan's room!"

"Woah! Cool!"

"C'mon! Let's see if they wanna play!"

"Yeah!"

Chisame took a step backwards, once again hearing their battle cry as they ran downstairs to the living room. Hoping the coast was clear, Chisame pushed the handle and breathed a sigh of defeat as she turned to partially face her manager.

"Well… might as well get this over with." She part said, part mumbled.

Chisame and Keitaro stopped dead in their tracks the moment they set foot on the living room.

"We're playing Twister!" Both Fuuka and Fumika shouted.

It was true. Placed in the dead centre of the room was the mentioned twister board in all its colour circled glory, with Mana, Yue, Makie and her family included in the craziness. The twins managed to tie each other in knots, Mana was on all fours, Yue was sitting on Mana like a table, whilst drinking one of her favourite drinks, and Makie found herself engulfed in her mother's breasts, looking like the worst possible act of incest ever.

Chisame found her heels mechanically turning to face the opposite way. "If anyone needs me I'll be in my room… and I really hope nobody needs me…"

But to her horror, she found a lifeless manager next to her, completely drained of colour and twitching all over the floor.

"Manager-san? Oh God… everyone, he's not breathing!"

"Oh no! Senpai!" Makie realised, now panicking.

"WE'LL SAVE HIM!" The twins blared out, somehow magically able to untie themselves.

With a double bounding leap, Fuuka and Fumika landed straight into Keitaro's stomach, earning an unholy scream from the once deceased manager. It was a miracle how the twins brought him back to life, though Keitaro's stomach now had four small footprints embedded into him.

"Yeah. As I was saying. Me. Going. Room." Chisame repeated, retreating away from any human contact.

(…♥…)

For the past few hours, Fuuka and Fumika played a wide variety of games, which everyone was forced to participate in, with the exception of Chisame who managed to barricade herself in her room. One game in particular left many residential casualties. Whoever invented toy cannons which fired out tennis balls at deadly speeds should have distributed them to the Japanese Military. As a result, the twins brought along these very contraptions. Everyone had at least half a dozen bruises, and they all found it very difficult to move around without feeling any pain. In addition, some windows were broken and one tennis ball managed to find itself lodged right inside the toilet of the bathroom. Luckily Keitaro was able to fulfil his managerial duties, and re-tidied the place fairly swiftly…

…but then came the pillow fight. Every unlocked bedroom allowed the twins access to their pillows and other accessories that made a 'flumping' sound when hit. As a result, pillows, cushions, the welcome mat and Yue were all flung across the living room, and once again Keitaro tried to clean up the chaos.

Luckily the twins didn't have an infinite amount of stamina. After a handful of family entertainment, they collapsed and fell asleep in the space of a few seconds. Miwa carefully placed the sleeping duo on the couch, breathing a long sigh of relief as she did so.

(…♥…)

Meanwhile during the day, Makie and Keitaro were encouraged by Miwa to do boyfriend and girlfriend things, such as become 'lovey dovey' when they were close, or give each other cute pet names to address each other. Or spend a few hours completely naked together in the hot springs. Of course neither of them would disagree otherwise Makie's mother would get suspicious, leading to hints that this was nothing but a charade. The main doors were locked and all the curtains were drawn to ensure the 'happy' couple had their privacy, which was just as well because the last thing they needed was an audience.

In the centre of the hot springs, Makie and Keitaro stood back to back with the water nearly filling up to their chests. For good measure, Keitaro wore a thick blindfold just in case he would inadvertently catch Makie in an exposed position.

Makie was the first to speak, feeling really guilty as she glazed over her own watery reflection. "Oh… um…by the way Senpai… okaasan said she was going to stay until tomorrow morning."

"Oh… okay." Were the only two words Keitaro replied by.

"I'm really sorry."

"It's okay Sasaki-san, really."

Silence filled the misty hot air. To spend this amount of time doing nothing dragged really slowly so Keitaro tried to break the ice.

"Heh… well…" He breathed out. "…at least I know where you get your good looks from."

Makie blushed furiously, as did Keitaro when he realised what he said. _"Did I just flirt with her?!"_

"Sorry! Sorry!" He quickly apologised, bowing many times even though Makie couldn't see him. "I didn't mean to say that! Well I did but I didn't! Sorry!"

"Nono! It's okay! Really." Makie quivered, splashing the water around with her arms.

After a moment the two remained quiet again. Then, after a while Keitaro started to chuckle. The sheer insanity of it all made him laughed softly to himself. Makie couldn't help but see the silly side either. Before long the two of them found themselves laughing out loud, not knowing why, nor caring.

Together they made a long, emotional sigh.

Keitaro grinned as he spoke first. "Hello mister manager. I would like a place to stay because my stupid parents got in a fight, so they made me leave the house. My parents are so evil. Anyways I see you around nine or something around that time. Or whatever."

"Heh… you still remembered my message!" Makie realised.

"Well I don't know about your father but your mother seems anything but evil." Keitaro added, with a hint of seriousness in his voice this time.

"She showed you her bra Senpai."

"You know what I mean."

Makie sighed again. "You're right. She may be embarrassing but I still love her... and I love my baby sisters too."

A dark cloud filled inside Keitaro's head. It was a nasty feeling, but he decided to press on, interested in finding out a little of Makie's past.

"So… um… what about your father?"

Makie closed her eyes. Keitaro could almost feel her aura turning stone cold.

"He left her." She said, showing sadness. "He left okaasan… and… and instead of me supporting her, I just ran away from it all. To top things off I made up… I made up a stupid excuse that I'm living with a boyfriend who isn't my boyfriend."

A single tear fell from each of her eyes.

"I'm such an idiot." She cried out.

"Sasaki-san…" Keitaro began to say. "We all make mistakes in life, but that's what makes us human. That's what my aunt Haruka used to say. I think she means nobody is perfect as long as we live and learn from our errors... at least… that's what I think she meant. I dunno. I was around six at the time."

"Um… Senpai?" Makie sniffled.

"Yeah?"

"I haven't got a clue what you are talking about."

"Oh."

Keitaro looked down, but just as he sighed he felt a tiny squeeze from his right hand. Makie had slowly interlaced her fingers into a very tight hold.

"But I know you're trying to make me feel better… and once this whole thing ends I will make it up to you."

"No, it's okay. You don't have to…"

"No Senpai! I _will _make it up to you…"

Makie gently closed her eyes and smiled warmly as her head leaned steadily backwards. Keitaro could feel her short pink hair tickling against his shoulders, and this along with her clasped hand made his heart beat faster than before.

"…I promise."

(…♥…)

The sky eventually changed to darkness, and the sun found itself slowly replaced by the moon, which once again illuminated over the hot springs.

Chicken curry was served for dinner, with succulent, tender white meat and thick sauce delicately placed in the middle of an outer layer of rice. Keitaro assured to Makie's mother that he made the food very mild, knowing that curry would normally be too spicy for the twins to handle. Of course the twins were their usual manic self. Fuuka entertained Fumika by burping out the alphabet, whilst Fumika entertained Fuuka by shoving grains of rice up her nose.

After dinner, there was a film on suitable for the twins, but in the end everyone decided to watch the telly, creating a nice atmosphere between family and residences. The twins fell asleep long before the movie had finished so that was a bonus in itself.

Late at night and everyone was nicely tucked away in their own rooms. There was a spare room next door to Chisame, which was big enough for Miwa and her daughters to sleep in.

Unfortunately, two people found it very difficult to sleep that night.

(…♥…)

After three hours Makie was still wide awake. She needed company. She knew she was in enough trouble as it is, but she really needed someone to sympathise with her. It was known to her and most of her friends as a 'girl thing'. It was incredibly hard for a woman to describe and even more impossible for a man to decipher.

Wearing a pink t-shirt and shorts, and carrying a pillow and blanket, Makie quietly walked along the corridors, hoping one of the residences will understand. She instantly thought of Keitaro, but figured she had caused him enough bother as it is. Then there was Yue. Yue feel asleep like a log so there was no way of even waking her up. Mana? Her door was wrapped around in chains and padlocks and it would probably take the native girl the rest of the night to unlock them all. This only lead to one possible solution.

Stealing her nerves, Makie knocked on Chisame's door. There was a poster slapped on the front that read 'DO NOT ENTER' and underneath in smaller writing read 'especially the twins'. In a dreamy state Chisame spoke an unusual string of words which caused Makie to raise an eyebrow.

"Pikachu… I… I love you too… but… I'm a girl… and you're an electric mouse… it just won't work out…"

Makie knocked again and the voices stopped. Fumbling around, Chisame opened the door and greeted Makie with a neutral expression. She still wore her glasses, but her silky long hair flowed freely without its band, making herself look very elegant. Her buttoned, red pyjamas, although simple, showed off her feminine figure well. Although Makie hated to admit it, the computer geek she thought she knew looked drop dead attractive. She also had a long way to go before her breasts came close to Hasegawa's size.

Makie faced the floor and twiddled her thumbs. Chisame could read her thoughts like a book.

"Get in." She sighed. "And don't touch anything."

(…♥…)

Nearby the hallway, the manager stood up holding the house phone, not knowing whether to make this call or not. He felt nervous and very weary due to his lack of sleep. Miwa mistaking Keitaro for her daughter's boyfriend turned into a pretty sticky situation. He needed help so he swallowed hard and dialled what he believed to be the problem solver.

The phone rang many times, which was understandable during this hour. Keitaro's skin jumped when someone answered the receiving end.

"Good evening, Tamago Residence."

The voice must had belonged to a boy no older than ten.

"H-hello?" The boy asked, probably just as nervous as Keitaro.

"Hi." Keitaro quickly interrupted. "May I speak to Haruka please?"

"Um sure. Who's calling?"

"Keitaro Urashima."

"Urashima? Oh um okay…"

Keitaro smiled, feeling more confidence when he spoke. "You must be Negi Springfield."

"Y-yeah. Um pleased to meet, um hear from you Keitaro-san."

"Likewise."

"Um… okay… I'll just get her…"

"Okay…"

Keitaro could faintly hear a patter of small footsteps scurrying away. A moment later and the silence was substituted by confident strides. The voice had been replaced with one he knew all too well.

"Well well well…" The voice spoke.

She was tired, but happy to hear him after such a long time.

"…if it isn't my little nephew…"

_To be continued…_

…

…

_Author: As you can tell Miwa's personality is a bit like Mutsumi. Anyway, all Keitaro and Makie have to do now is survive the morning and everything will be back to normal. Surely Makie's mother won't find out the truth before then? See you in the next chapter!_


	12. Taking the Twins to Tokyo

**Chapter Twelve - Taking the Twins to Tokyo**

…

The following day started off with a bright sunshine filling the cloudless sky, a pleasant surprise for an early spring. Unfortunately, Keitaro's emotional state was not quite on par with the weather.

Amongst the fun and the frolics, Keitaro and Makie so far managed to get away with bending the truth from the love persuading Miwa Sasaki. Therefore, like yesterday, she had encouraged them to venture the hot springs together, only this time it would be first thing in the morning as well. Of course Keitaro would have to wear his blindfold once more, but he was used to the darkness by now.

There was roughly three or four hours left before Miwa and the twins would finally depart from Hinata-Sou. Keitaro couldn't remember exactly how long because after a few minutes he had already lost track of the time.

Neither of them said a word, although there was a lot of thoughts running through the manager's mind.

(…♥…)

"…it's about time I heard from my little nephew."

Keitaro grinned. Her kind voice with a hint of deadpan thrown in for good measure. It could only belong to his aunt Haruka. Throughout Christmas and the New Year, they had exchanged many emails and letters, but this was nothing compared to direct, vocal communication. It was… a sense of relief, and Keitaro instantly felt at ease.

After a warm greeting, Keitaro proceeded to catch up with some small memories before finally exposing his recent problems and wrongdoings. Haruka listened to every word, and after a short while she gave him a short, straightforward answer.

"Tell the truth..."

Keitaro stuttered for a reply but came up with nothing, allowing Haruka to continue.

"…it's the only way you'll be free of this mess."

(…♥…)

Of course she was right, and it was so obvious as well. To hide the truth from such a gentle woman was an act of selfishness. There was no other way around it.

"Sasaki-san…" Keitaro said softly.

"Senpai?" Makie asked, lazily staring at her watery reflection.

"I'm going to tell her."

This caused the girl to gasp out loud. "But why?"

Keitaro replied neutrally, keeping his feelings hidden away. "Because it's the right thing to do."

"No… w-w-wait…"

"I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind. Get dressed."

Makie gulped but reluctantly did as she was asked. She rose from the hot springs knowing full well she was going to end up in deeper water.

(…♥…)

Fully clothed, Makie and Keitaro looked at each other before both taking a deep breath. Not before long, they found themselves opening the main door and walking side by side into the living room. Both looked as though they showed confidence but inside was a deep seated fear. Makie's knees began to knock together, but a hand on her shoulder put her at ease.

Their hearts stopped the moment they saw Miwa, standing near the centre of the room. Her hair partially shadowed over her eyes. Her once joyous state of mind was now an aura of blistering cold. Leaning on the wall was Chisame, who kept her eyes on the floor whilst loosely folding her arms.

Chisame's eyes did not meet anyone even as she spoke.

"I… already told her."

Miwa took three strides forward and raised her left hand up high. For a moment, it looked as though a cowered Makie was her target, but in a split second she changed her sense of direction, and slapped Keitaro hard on his right cheek. The abrupt sound of flesh meeting flesh was not a pleasant one.

Chisame looked up with widened eyes. She knew the truth had to be said, but she never thought it would come to this.

"Okasan?!" Makie shouted in protest "What… what did you do that for?! It's my fault not his."

Miwa focused her sight on the manager, who was now tending his sore face. "Yes… yes Makie-chan you did lie to me, but you sir… you should know better then to tag along with her charade. Just how old are you?"

Keitaro gulped. "Tw-Twenty one."

"Twenty one. A young man that doesn't know how to take responsibility…" Miwa scolded.

Miwa was about to press on with her anger, but voices upstairs stopped her immediately. She made a groaning sigh as she walked upstairs to the spare room.

(…♥…)

In the spare bedroom next to Chisame's, the twins, Mana and Yue were playing a rather subtle game of doctors and nurses… if subtle meant agonising with an extra layer of insanity thrown in for good measure. Dressed in nurse outfits were of course Fuuka and Fumika. The patients were laid face up on the twin's bed, and were tied up with some really strong rope.

"Fuuka-san! Fumika-san!" Mana said strictly. "A game is a game, but this is a little too extreme for my tastes."

Mana turned to face Yue for backup, but the blunette was too preoccupied with the ceiling. _"Wish I had picked this room. It's much bigger than the one I have."_

The twins mischievously giggled to themselves as they prepared a selection of fizzy drinks, substitutes for medicine supposedly. However, their little antics came to an end when Miwa entered the room and promptly urged the twins to get ready for leaving. Miwa apologised when she untied the rope, though it was apparent to Yue and Mana that her voice came off as more frustrated than sincere.

(…♥…)

With a bag in each hand, Miwa stormed out of the living room with the twins chasing behind her. The young girls were confused and restless, and begged their mother to stay in the dormitory a while longer. Miwa, at this stage was beyond upset. She didn't care if her two daughters were to scream all the way home. Makie was also trying to make up to her, but with no avail. Chisame, Mana and Yue had also voiced their reasons, but realised they had little to say in the matter.

"Wait!" Keitaro shouted, completely blocking Miwa from the main door. "I'm sorry! What I did was wrong, but I promise I can make it up to you!"

Miwa faced the manager, frowning. "Uh huh…"

"Let me… let me look after the twins!" Keitaro replied, disbelieving what he just said. "I-I can take them out and… and take care of them! Please! I beg of you! I just want to prove to you that I'm not a low life liar!"

"Forget it." Miwa said sternly, her body language demanding the manager to move aside.

Keitaro however refused. He closed his eyes tightly as he stood his ground. "If I don't fulfil this promise then… then I'll resign my position as the manager!"

The residents all gasped in shock, a sound which could give the whole room an unearthly chill.

Chisame was the first to react. She, naturally, exploded with anger.

"WHAT THE HELL?!? If you resign, then we all have to leave too!"

"Um… uh oh. Perhaps I should have thought this through..."Keitaro realised.

"Senpai! What are you thinking?!" Makie joined in, nearly as surprised as Chisame.

Yue stared at Keitaro, wondering what was going through his head. She chose neither to speak nor think, but kept a fixated look on him nonetheless. Mana was perhaps the less worried of the four. She studied Keitaro's body language carefully.

"_What will you do now Urashima-san?"_

Miwa had a neutral expression whilst the twins had a perplexed makeover. She concluded that it was a bold, if stupid idea… but the intensity shown in Keitaro's eyes intrigued her.

"Are you sure about this?" Miwa asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mess up, my daughter and your residents will be gone from here."

She waited expectantly for an answer. Keitaro grit his teeth and stared her straight in the eye.

"I said it was a promise, and I don't intend to back down on it." He replied confidently.

"Very well." Miwa said. "I'll give you three hours and if any harm comes to my babies, _or _if they don't enjoy themselves for whatever reason…"

"I know." Keitaro cut off.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is a ridiculous idea?!" Chisame fumed.

Makie gazed at the manager as he and the rather confused looking twins got themselves ready, pools of emotion drenched into her beautiful brown eyes.

(…♥…)

Wearing his usual outside clothes, Keitaro ventured into the great outside, his outer layer calm but inner self a nervous wreck. Not only were the twins his responsibility, but all of the residences hung high in the balance. By the time Fuuka and Fumika held their hands with his, Keitaro only then realised that he took such a careless gamble. He knew Chisame was right. He just blew out words way before thinking things through.

After passing down the many steps, the trio travelled for a while until they found themselves in the heart of Tokyo. Even for a Sunday, the city was filled with a variety of folk, though today fewer people were seen dressed for business. If every stranger expressed an opinion after watching Keitaro and the twins together, they would probably see them as a happy family.

Keitaro, Fuuka and Fumika walked through a narrow road when the lights signalled the traffic to stop. When there were at the other side, Keitaro decided to ask the girls what they wanted to do.

"So um… Fuuka-chan, Fumika-chan…"

"WE'RE STARVING!" The twins wailed, with their stomachs rumbling as proof that they were not lying.

Keitaro also heard his growling tummy. "Oh yeah. I forgot none of us had breakfast yet."

"Hey! This place looks cool!" Fuuka stated, pointing at an interesting looking building.

"Yeah! Let's go there!" Fumika added, equally excited.

There were many elegant and divine restaurants in Tokyo… but the one the twins wanted to attend wasn't one of them. It was called 'Bowling for Beef', and it used comedy style text with black and white colours for each letter. On the top right corner was its logo of a bowling ball knocking over a herd of cows. Bowling for Beef was a fast food restaurant with a twist. Half of the building consisted of a standard layout where people indulged in their food, whilst the other half was in fact a skittle alley, which itself was very popular among the locals.

Fuuka and Fumika wasted no time in finding a table for three, and as soon as Keitaro joined them, they were altogether greeted by two guys wearing cartoon looking cow costumes, which came complete with udders hooves and everything. The two cow waiters did a merry little jig before offering the menus and eagerly waiting with their writing boards and pens.

"Welcome to Bowling for Beef! If it ain't got beef in it…"

"…there's no point eating it!" They both sung, one after the after.

Suddenly… silence.

Keitaro recognised their voices and glasses easily. Haitani and Shirai, the latest recruits for Bowling for Beef, returned Keitaro's gaze with stares of their own. The twins paid no attention to anything other than the menus in front of them.

"We'll take the super triple beef burger with extra everything!" They both shouted whilst raising a hand in the air.

The fat and the skinny cow mechanically nodded, evil eyes still fixated on Keitaro as they scribbled down the order.

"A fine choice!" Haitani replied, making a frightening eye smile. "And what would you like Kei… I mean sir?"

The frosty stares penetrated Keitaro's conscious.

"Um, do you have anything that doesn't contain beef?" He asked.

Haitani and Shirai looked at each other before gazing back to Keitaro.

"Sir." Haitani said. "Would you mind as to step outside? The staff would like a word with you."

"Um… s-sure."

"Hey! Were are you going with our special Kei-kun?" The twins loudly said.

Keitaro's friends widened their eyes on that remark.

Shirai briefly turned to face the twins before walking the same route as Keitaro and Haitani.

"Um… we need… milking."

(…♥…)

Later on outside, away from Fuuka and Fumika…

"YOU PAEDOPHILE BASTARD!" Haitani roared, flattening poor Keitaro with his right hoof. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU DATING PRE-SCHOOLERS FOR?!?"

Whilst Shirai repeatedly jumped up and down on him. "Yeah! I mean I like them young, but not _that _young!"

Keitaro shielded his face, defending himself from the bovine onslaught.

"It's not like that at all!" He pleaded angrily. "I'm babysitting Makie's little sisters!"

At once the duo stopped their attack, which was just as well since some people passing by were just about to phone the police.

"Oh." They both said, somewhat dumbstruck.

As Keitaro explained a quick version of what happened yesterday and this morning, a large crash followed by a series of giggling were heard inside…

Haitani, Shirai and Keitaro dashed into the restaurant only to find that it had been trashed to bits. Bowling balls were flung about randomly and there were at least a dozen casualties. All their jaws fell to the ground at the same time.

"I don't get it Fumika-chan." Fuuka questioned. "These things are too heavy to throw." She demonstrated this fact by carelessly lobbing it on somebody's foot, causing him to howl in utmost pain.

"Dummy!" Fumika pouted. "You don't throw them! You roll them! Like this!" And she demonstrated this fact by rolling the ball at top speed into one of the tables, destroying it completely.

The manager of this place was a bald stocky person who was absolutely livid. Keitaro had to pay the man or else he'd be spending the next few months working off his salary. Only then did he realise just how hyper and manic the twins really were. How Makie's mother managed to control them was a task in itself.

(…♥…)

In the end, the trio decided to go to 'Cluck Clucky's Juicy Chicken', the restaurant next door which just so happened to be the rivals of Bowling for Beef. The minor differences were the lack of a bowling area, cow costumes being replaced by chicken ones and everything on the menu being pretty much chicken orientated.

Keitaro figured out the best way to keep control of the twins was to stay close to them, since Tokyo grew more populated as time passed by. Being a Sunday meant there was a variety of markets, most of them selling food whilst others had trinkets and small gifts for reduced prices. There wasn't really anything Keitaro needed, and the twins quickly grew bored… that is until Fuuka found an ice cream stand. A child's haven.

Keitaro, digging deep into his pockets bought himself and the twins a double scoop cone (Fuuka and Fumika spent practically half the day choosing a flavour). Over time, the twins learned that Keitaro was a generally kind person. Proof of this was when Fumika looked miserable after her ice cream fell off her cone and onto the pavement. Keitaro simply grinned and prodded one of his scoops on top of Fumika's own. The twin looked up at the manager and showed him the brightest heartfelt smile she could make.

Sanity was shattered again when the twins found the biggest toy shop they could feast their eyes upon. Robots, action figures and an array of mega expensive board games were all displayed in a way that seductively whispered 'buy me'. At this rate it wouldn't matter if Keitaro did fail his promise, since all his wages were being blown away by spending it all on a single day. However, seeing the twins overjoyed when they bought a selection of entertainment was well worth the smouldering hole in the wallet.

As they continued their outing together, neither of the three were unaware that the time had flown by. The morning delved into late afternoon.

To round off the day, the three watched the latest premier on cinema. For three tickets, Keitaro once again found his finance disintegrating.

(…♥…)

"**One plus one equals two!"**

"**Add another for a few!"**

"**An extra one will give you four!"**

"**ANGELIC POWER KNIGHTS WILL ROCK THE DANCE FLOOR!"**

"ANGELIC POWER KNIGHTS ROCK THE DANCE FLOOR!" Every single child screamed the opening theme song of the ever so popular anime kid's show 'Angelic Power Knights'. Keitaro and every parent… and just about everyone else above ten years of age stood there… frozen. They had absolutely no clue what was going on. It was about four feminine knights with angel wings who fight for justice. It made little sense whatsoever.

Keitaro, sandwiched between the twins, had enough to eat for one day, but still the girls found themselves devouring a giant sized plastic bucket filled with buttered popcorn, as well as the largest tub of ice cream anyone could ask for. As far as Fuuka and Fumika were concerned, their stomachs were two giant black holes.

As the movie progressed, swords were swung, shields clashed together and a multitude of colours were thrown about in every possible direction. Just another moment longer and it would all be over. Keitaro took a brief moment to examine the girls sitting next to him. Fuuka was still glued to the wide screen, mechanically munching the remains of her food. Fumika however, was fast asleep, finding a nice cosy spot on the manager's lap.

At last Keitaro managed to relax. Despite the flashing colours and hypersonic soundtracks, he finally found himself in a carefree position.

(…♥…)

An unsettling silence filled the dormitory. Everyone found comfort in their own room, all thinking about what happened in the morning. Three young women in particular.

Makie buried her face in her pillow. After the fourth track on her mp3 player, the trance music completely wiped out her thoughts. She also tried tossing and turning, and even forced herself to read a couple of school books just to escape herself from the events of today.

Chisame was updating her Chiu website again, only this time she didn't feel the presence of her nor her alter ego. Her right hand took a life of its own as it glided around the touch screen. She sighed through her nose. Telling the truth to Makie's mother sure felt like the right thing to do, but she winced when she recalled Miwa's hand cracking against the manager's cheek bone. A while after Keitaro had left, Chisame secretly knew her position as a resident was not in harms way. She knew Keitaro would return safe and sound with the twins happily skipping along by his side. Yet sometimes she felt the need to shout angrily at him, possibly just to extinguish her own stress more than anything else.

Chisame leaned back on her chair. It sure was quiet without Keitaro and the twins.

Inside the spare bedroom next to Chisame, Miwa sat down on her bed looking at a small collection of photographs. One in particular nearly brought her to tears.

Five people stared at Miwa with happy, love filled eyes. Makie was on the far left with a charming eye smile. Fuuka and Fumika stood in the middle, both of them making silly faces as they posed a victory sign. Miwa was behind them with a hand on each of their shoulders. It almost looked as though she was laughing…

…and finally to the right was a tall, thin handsome man. His facial features are what caused his ex-wife to shed her tears elegantly onto the photograph. If it wasn't for the blonde hair, his appearance mirrored a certain someone almost perfectly.

Miwa suddenly heard the distant sounds of footsteps.

At last they had returned.

(…♥…)

Each step took longer than the last. The mountainous struggle up the stairs was exhausting enough, but with two girls dead asleep on his back had reduced his speed to the slowest of turtles. He collapsed on his knees the moment he made it the top, and it was only then the twins sprung to life and rushed crazily to the sandpit, giggling until their hearts would burst. Keitaro groaned. They were faking their sleep the whole journey.

Keitaro looked at the girls with tired, but interested eyes. There was no bucket and spade around but that didn't stop them from using their hands, making any shape of building they thought ideal.

"Hey Kei-kun! Come over here!" Fuuka called out, beckoning the manager to play with them.

Keitaro walked over and knelt to their level. A simple sandpit and two children playing either side. He could not help but grin to himself. It didn't feel like long ago that he was doing something similar with a certain girl their age.

"Put your hand in the middle!" Fumika added softly, looking at him with a big smile.

Curious, Keitaro slowly pressed his hand in the centre of the sandpit, awaiting what kind of prank would be pulled on him. To his surprise, he found two other hands joined to his, one touching his little finger whilst the other brushed against his thumb. Together they formed quite an interesting pattern.

The twins giggled, but at the same time displayed some emotion as well.

"Now we will always be together!" Fuuka shouted, not caring who would hear.

"Thanks for being so nice to us." Fumika whispered.

Keitaro's eyes widened. At that moment, two pairs of lips gently touched both of his cheeks. He was completely lost for words.

A polite cough caused the three to raise their heads. Standing just by the entrance was Miwa and to her left and right were the residents, looking at Keitaro with a mixture of reactions. Keitaro was so preoccupied he didn't hear any of them. Just how long have they been standing there?

Instinctively, Keitaro checked his wrist watch, though the darkened sky should have been the obvious clue.

"OH MY GOD I'M FOUR HOURS LATE!" Keitaro screamed, clutching the sides of his head.

Fortunately, Makie's mother didn't seem to mind at all. The twins ran happily towards Miwa, and when they grabbed each of her legs, both of them raced to see who could tell her their story the quickest.

Miwa smiled and slowly looked up to face Keitaro. She spoke two words that were barely a whisper, but easily recognisable.

"Thank you."

…

…

_Author: Thought I'd squeeze one more chapter before 2008 kicks off._

_Happy new year!_


	13. An Unexpected Urashima Makeover

**Chapter Thirteen - An Attempted Urashima Makeover**

…

Keitaro swallowed a lump in his throat. Over the past he had encountered vampire dolls, a minotaur made of stone and even the merciless twins, but these were all fears incomparable to what he had to do right now. Stealing his nerves, he knocked on Chisame's door three times.

Now… the best case scenario would involve Chisame screaming at the top of her voice, the result of her possibly winning a major online championship, if it wasn't for Keitaro's untimely intrusion. The worst case scenario wasn't even worth thinking about.

Luckily Chisame wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary this time. She merely opened the door and looked at Keitaro in a way most normal people would. Then again, even her normal presence made Keitaro shudder a little. She posed her regular, yet impenetrable stance and folded her arms.

"What is it?" She asked, though it came out as more of a demand than a question.

Three words and already Keitaro's brain turned into mush. His body followed, wobbling like jelly. At this rate it was a miracle he managed to say anything.

"Um… um hello Hasegawa-san." He quivered, repeatedly tapping the tips of his fingers. "I… I was just w-w-wondering… well you know that me and Sasaki-san are, well, you know… going on that… that thing…"

"Date?" Chisame helped out.

"Yes! Date! Ahahaha! So well… um… ah…"

Keitaro tightly closed his eyes and stood to attention.

"…I… I NEED YOUR ADVICE ON WHAT TO WEAR!"

Chisame didn't really appreciate the shouting considering Keitaro's mouth was only a short distance away from her ears. Her hair blew forcibly as a result. She looked at his eyes, two giant pools of absolute desperation. They stared at each other for some time, but finally Chisame sagged her shoulders and admitted defeat.

(…♥…)

Darkness was instantly greeted by sunlight when Chisame, with both hands, widely swung open Keitaro's wardrobe. She flinched when a moth escaped and ventured outside the open window. Dust and cobwebs proudly made their territory.

"So um… what do you think I should wear?" Keitaro asked, scratching his head whilst standing beside her.

Chisame shuddered. To her, looking inside his wardrobe was like unravelling a secret lair which led into the deepest depths of hell. She unfolded and inspected all of his belongings, each one more horrifying than the last. The jumpers, for instance were made from thick cotton, and had designs not even blind people would appreciate. One example in particular was a bright red number, sprinkled all over with golden glitter.

"Why the hell did you buy this?!" Chisame shouted, her mouth hung wide as she stared at this fashion disaster.

"Um… I didn't." Keitaro lamely retaliated. "It was a Christmas present from my parents."

"They hate you _that _much?!" She replied in disbelief.

Not waiting for an answer, Chisame proceeded to rummage through the rest of his belongings. After a thorough examination she encountered four pairs of slacks, each with a different shade of grey, some old, worn out shoes and a pair of socks that read 'I love blondes' on them.

"So what do you think?" Keitaro asked again.

Chisame turned to the side, unconsciously dropping the socks to the floor.

"Do you want my honest opinion…?"

Keitaro nodded in reply.

Her face turned below freezing and her eyes changed into smouldering orbs. She pointed at him like he was the cause of all worldly problems.

"**Manager-san… your clothes are an abomination to the human race. To wear such acts of monstrosity is a crime unforgivable."**

The manager's head lowered in shame. "That's harsh… _and kind of scary too._"

"It's the truth!" Chisame instantly corrected, now right in Keitaro's face. "Seriously, I would rather be castrated than seen wearing any of this stuff!"

In a flash, Chisame stomped out of his room and made her way downstairs.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Keitaro called out.

"To get our coats." Chisame shouted back. "We… are going shopping."

(…♥…)

Inside the jolly Bowling for Beef restaurant, Makie and her two friends sat around one of the many round tables, all of them casually slurping on their favourite fizzy drink. Usually, Makie was the life and soul of any event no matter how casual or extreme. Today however, she was preoccupied with her own thoughts.

Three days after her family left Hinata-Sou, Makie boldly asked Keitaro out on a date which would take place the following Saturday. This was her little way of showing thanks, since Keitaro had not only earned the trust of her mother, but also managed to look after the twins for a very long period of time… and still had his sanity intact. He had unknowingly became her knight in shining armour.

Makie still blushed thinking about these recent events. She, a girl with a happy go lucky attitude towards life, found it incredibly nervous just to ask those simple words to her manager. She desperately tried keeping this knowledge with him a secret… so it was only natural that all the residents, plus everyone in Makie's class found out sooner or later (mostly sooner).

The friend sitting to her right is known as Yuna, a girl with medium length, dark brown hair and was the same height as most middle aged school girls. Her hobbies and personality nearly copied Makie in every fine detail, so it was no surprise they quickly became acquainted with one another. Ako was the friend on Makie's left. She had short, lavender hair and normally kept to herself unless otherwise spoken to. As a result this made her the timid one, and was certainly the better behaved of the group.

Recently, Makie had stayed over Yuna's house. The young sportswoman felt that things would have become more awkward if she stayed at Hinata-Sou, especially since she lived just one floor below the manager. This moment, Yuna spent the whole Friday afternoon teasing Makie to no end.

"Geez I don't know how you do it!" Yuna said, grinning. "Dating a man so much older than you! How?"

Makie placed a hand on her cheek and pouted. "He's not _that _old. He's twenty one."

"Even so…" Ako added, feeling the need to take part. "…it's quite an age gap, considering your previous boyfriends."

The pink haired girl nodded a reply, remembering a few moments in the past. Makie was certainly a very popular girl in school, so to no surprise, she was asked out by many guys her age. The guys which she did choose to go out with however, turned out to be nothing but snakes, treating her like an object of desire rather than a real woman. A single outing was enough to summarise her opinion of them… and it did put her off dating for a while…

…but Keitaro? Compared to most men, she felt as though he was in a completely different league altogether.

"You have a point there Ako-chan." Yuna turned and spoke to the shy girl. "And besides, the more mature guys are usually well developed if you catch my drift."

Makie's face had a beetroot makeover. "Oh and how would you know?!"

Yuna scratched her head. "Eh, I read it somewhere…"

Standing behind the bar, two cows had scouted their prey. Their super enhanced vision detected three very cute girls.

"Ho baby!" Haitani whispered behind his till. Even though the girls were nearby, he still felt the need to wear a pair of binoculars. "My bovine senses have located the presence of three lov-er-ly ladies!"

"Your senses are one hundred percent accurate my milk making friend." Agreed Shirai, having the same perverse look as his taller buddy.

The two looked long and hard at each other before laughing.

"Ha ha! Listen to us!" Haitani said. "As if we're going to stand a chance wearing these outfits!"

"Yeah!" Shirai nodded. "I mean who in the world would want to HEY LOOK OVER THERE!"

"Huh?"

Whilst Haitani looked another way, Shirai kicked his friend in the shin and ran crazily to where the girls were, holding a menu board and wearing a silly grin. Haitani cursed and limped after him.

"Welcome to Bowling for Beef!" They both shouted. "How may I take your order?"

Makie narrowed her eyes. She had a gut feeling she saw those two bumble heads somewhere before…

(…♥…)

Bidding Mana and Yue farewell, Chisame and Keitaro briskly walked into the city to find the nearest clothes shop they could find. Both of them wore their normal, casual wear; Chisame with her 'I hope nobody recognises me' denim combo and Keitaro with his orange coat over his thick blue jumper, plus of course his grey slacks and old worn shoes.

Keitaro had his hands in his pockets the whole time. It was probably just to keep his hands warm, but his body language suggested he was slightly nervous. He glanced over his shoulder to see the net idol walking beside him.

"_I wonder why Hasegawa-san is so determined to help me? It's not like her clothes are anything special… unless… unless she is hiding something…"_

He then looked over to the right and stared glumly at his reflection on a large shop window.

"…_she's right though. I look like such a dork."_

"Manager-san."

Keitaro glanced upwards and noticed Chisame speaking a few feet in front of him.

"In here."

(…♥…)

Walking into a clothes store was an unknown experience for Keitaro Urashima. Everywhere he looked he found various, vibrant materials which were attractive to the eye, yet expensive to the pocket. Chisame, on the other hand, felt like she died and gone to heaven. So many pretty dresses and other outfits struck her alter ego into a state beyond fascination. Then she suddenly realised the situation.

"_So many outfits… so many possibilities… NO! Must resist…"_

Her pupils darted left and right, spotting bargains all over the place.

"_ZOMG! Twenty five percent off that ruby dress…!"_

"Hasegawa-san?" Keitaro said, surprised as he stared into her wide-eyed, hypnotic state.

Upon hearing his confusion, Chisame quickly shook her head and reverted to her normal, grumpy self.

"Huh… oh right… well what are waiting for? Let's go already!" She ordered, snatching Keitaro by the arm and nearly dragging his sorry carcass to the men's department.

(…♥…)

Shirts, jeans, neck sweaters and other fashion wear were all displayed in a variety of styles and well known logo designs. Unfortunately the price tags were a touch on the high side, so buying just a few clothes would make a dent in the manager's wallet.

Chisame whizzed in and out, scooping up a few pairs of random jeans, trousers and a mass selection of shirts. Before Keitaro could breathe, the redhead plopped all the selected clothing on his head.

"Try these out." She said strictly.

Keitaro did as he was told, but the poor dimwit forgot that the amount of clothes had obscured his vision. He therefore walked straight into a wall with a comical collision, causing many customers and staff to laugh at his own misfortune.

Keitaro couldn't help but snigger as he rubbed his temple. "Heh… maybe I should take the clothes off my head huh?"

Chisame covered her eyes in embarrassment. "Just… get in… the dressing room."

(…♥…)

The manager sighed as he readied himself in the secluded area. He was quite literally surrounded with hundreds of possible combinations, just waiting to be rejected by one Chisame Hasegawa.

"_Come on…" _Keitaro thought to himself, calming his nerves as he tried on his first new shirt. _"…what's the worst that could happen? It's not like Hasegawa-san is just going to say 'no' and instantly order me to try something else."_

(…♥…)

"No."

Keitaro just stood there, mouth agape from Chisame's cold words… or rather, word. She was clearly unimpressed from his first dress up attempt.

"Well, hurry up and try something else." She instantly ordered.

And not before long Keitaro returned to the dressing room again… and again… and again…

…

"No."

"But…"

"Next!"

…

"No."

…

"No."

…

"N-"

This time Keitaro interrupted. "But Hasegawa-san! That's my fifth one! I'm getting kind of sick and tired of this…"

Chisame looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"…I mean you just say 'no' to all of them and that's it! No reasons why or anything! You know… I think you're doing all this just to spite me!"

Though she was surprised from Keitaro's rare outburst, Chisame folded her arms and stood her ground. She casually took one deep breath.

"Okay… reasons?" Chisame said quietly, closing her eyes. She flicked her index finger to explain her reasoning. "Outfit number one; the black shirt with white stripes and black jeans. That's fine… if you want to date a zebra or a mime. There's simply no colour to it, so why live in a bright and colourful world wearing something so drab and lifeless? Also black, technically, is not a colour, it is more of a void presence if anything, and white is simply a background that invites colour, it doesn't deserve to have recognition, especially if contrasting with black…"

"Outfit number two…" She continued, raising an extra finger for each described outfit "…ah yes the hippy number with yellow flared trousers. Now… I'm no expert gardener but I am fairly certain that flowers belong in the dirt, not on a lime green shirt… and lime green no less! Lime green is perhaps, without a shadow of a doubt, the most weakest colour ever to grace the whole galaxy… but hey! If you want to look like a retarded pacifist with a craving for dandelions go right ahead!"

"Outfit number three; yes the chessboard shirt, only this time black and white are unwillingly replaced with (shudder) indigo and mustard. I mean good heavens manager-san! The only sort of people which wear this monstrosity are those early morning game show hosts… and most of those guys share a brain cell between them!"

"Outfit number four; hmm the bubble-licious one, or to be more precise, the brown shirt with orange bubbles displayed in a random fashion. I must say that it bears an uncanny resemblance to a turd swamp! Seriously would anyone, much less you, consider wearing something that has been separated from your excretory system? I thought not."

Chisame's voice turned into a wheezing rasp. She now displayed a full free hand as she explained the final outfit Keitaro was currently wearing.

"And… lastly… number five… no man over twenty wears anything… and I mean anything with a Hello Kitty Sailor logo!"

Unknown to the net idol, five young male teenagers around her were all frantically taking notes from their writing pads. The minute Chisame turned around they all faced opposite directions and quickly walked away whilst whistling to themselves.

Keitaro still stared at Chisame in utter disbelief, then slowly stared at his latest fashion wear. It was indeed a shirt with the Hello Kitty Sailor picture on. It was certainly cute but it didn't fit in with Keitaro's dress sense at all.

"Um… I'll change into something else then." Keitaro decided.

Chisame simply nodded, concluding this was perhaps the most intelligent suggestion Keitaro came up with all day.

(…♥…)

Chisame tapped her foot as she waited. Another five minutes later and Keitaro reappeared from the dressing room, wearing yet another shirt-jean combination. He looked nervously at Chisame and awaited her ruthless judgement. However, instead of her usual reaction, Chisame slowly placed her thumb and index finger around her chin. She carefully analysed the maroon shirt and blue, faded jeans, a simple yet effective choice for the manager.

"_Hmm… well it certainly looks less ridiculous than the previous five. Whilst maroon doesn't particularly stand out it does work well with the faded jeans. Overall not a bad choice…"_

"Hasegawa-san?" Keitaro asked, still standing there like an idiot.

Chisame retained her usual folded arms position and nodded. "Good, now let's try on a few more…"

(…♥…)

Now… poor Keitaro thought that after buying an assortment of clothes, he would be back in the dormitory anytime soon. Chisame, however, decided that it wasn't just the taste in clothes Keitaro was lacking in. As a result they visited various stores and purchased pairs of trainers, sunglasses and even cufflinks, though Chisame admitted she went a little overboard with the latter. They even tried a vast number of hair saloons… but…

"…unbelievable!" Chisame burst out, in a bewildered state of anger. "That's the eighth salon we tried and none of them could sort out your hair!"

"Well… I guess it runs in the family." Keitaro remembered, prodding the top of his head. "For generations, all Urashimas in the male category had the same hair style and it could not be arranged no matter how hard you try. Heh… I guess you could say I'm the manager with unmanageable hair!"

"It's a mystery all right." Chisame sighed as she simply threw his lame joke aside, and shoved her hands in her pockets. She briefly looked at the sky, which had now turned considerably darker since they left.

Keitaro decided to follow suit, keeping his hands warm inside his jacket pockets. He stole a slight glance in Chisame's direction, wondering what was going through her mind.

"_Even though it was expensive, I really appreciate Hasegawa-san helping me out… but I can't help but wonder why she wants to do this…"_

Keitaro dared to turn his head a little further, and managed to catch an unaware Chisame, who was lazily staring at one of the shop windows. On display was a beautiful Victorian style dress which was on sale.

"…_maybe there is something about her I don't know about…"_

In a split second, Chisame stood her ground. Keitaro frowned before realising why she did that. There was an increasingly thick tension in the air when the two of them stood face to face with Makie, Yuna and Ako. Makie was in the middle, and had a pinkish hue appearing on her cheeks.

Before a nervous Keitaro could greet the trio, Makie found herself being escorted by the girl beside her.

"What are you doing?!" Makie angrily protested, who was now the victim of a Yuna style fireman's carry.

"Getting you out of this awkward situation!" Yuna replied excitedly. "Besides, it's bad luck if you two meet before the day!"

"You're thinking of a wedding!"

"Awww! How cute! You haven't even dated the man yet and now you want to marry him!"

"YUNA-CHAN!"

Chisame didn't even bother to look behind her. She groaned and tilted her head downwards. _"Sometimes I wonder if my life will ever be normal…"_

In the far distance, Ako's timid voice was heard.

"I always wanted to be a bridesmaid…"

(…♥…)

After that unorthodox occurrence, Chisame and Keitaro finally found their way back at the dormitory. Chisame still found the never ending stairs a struggle, so therefore had to mutter a complaint to herself every four or five minutes.

Keitaro was just about to enter the main entrance but froze. He didn't know whether it was the right thing to do, but there was something he wanted to say to her. Something that he had to get off his chest.

"Um, Hasegawa-san?" He said softly.

Chisame stopped moving and looked up. "Hmm?"

"I…I…"

"Look, you thanked me enough times already…"

"No! It's not that!"

"Then what?"

Keitaro took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"I know your secret."

"…"

"…"

Her face… turned white.

She thought it was a joke at first, but the seriousness in his eyes showed that Keitaro was far from messing around.

Those four words mentally and physically annihilated Chisame into a pile of burning ash. She rose a shaky finger at him, whilst the entire galaxy had given her a roller coaster ride into bubbling lava. In short, she was just a little bit surprised.

"_Impossible! How can he, a halfwit, moronic coconut, manage to discover the hidden identity of Chisame Hasegawa?! Even worse, how many people has he told?! No… I'm going to assume that he wouldn't share this secret with anyone… but if he has, then I will just have to hunt… them… down…"_

In a flash, Chisame lifted and slammed Keitaro against the wall. Her cold breath was smeared all over his face and her glasses were completely filled with the moonlight. Keitaro watched in pure fear as a sinister grin crept upon her face.

"Manager-san… I am going to kill you…" She replied in a dark sing song voice.

"WHA-WHAT?!?"

"_Yeesss… I have to kill him. Then I would cut off his limbs and store each part in a separate rubbish bag. After that I would feed each bag to a pack of starving mongrels… well I would have to find the starving mongrels first but I can worry about that later. Ah, but what of the residents? Hmm… I would just have to say he suffered from an illness… an unexpected… terminal illness."_

In a state of panic, Keitaro quickly pushed himself away from her menacing hold. "Hasegawa-san! Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?!"

"Maybe just a little…" Chisame replied, very faintly. "…after all… its only a silly miniature secret that will banish my soul for all eternity."

"Well… if it means that much to you, then I won't tell anyone."

Chisame looked up as the rest of her fell down into a heap of despair. "Really?"

Keitaro nodded. His smile was so honest and so pure that Chisame slowly felt at ease. The expression of her face was pacified, but still slightly confused. _"I don't know why… … but… for some reason… I can trust him? Can I really trust him?"_

"Besides…" Keitaro added. "Just because you're a lesbian doesn't mean I am going to throw you out of the dormitory! Anyway… oh look at the time, I better prepare dinner… I will, um see you around."

"Yeah… okay…" Chisame whispered in reply, her face now staring at the pavement.

When Keitaro greeted the residents inside, Chisame cracked open a smile. She quietly chuckled to herself as she felt a massive burden being lifted from her shoulders. Or so she thought.

"_Heh… haha! I knew it! There was no way that knucklehead would know my deepest secret…_

… _I mean… really! He honestly thinks that I'm a…_

…_a… a_

…

…

…

_**WHAT THE FUCK?!?!"**_

…

…

_Author: Next chapter, Keitaro goes out with Makie… but will things go smoothly for the two of them? See you next time!_


	14. First Date

**Chapter Fourteen - First Date**

…

He stood there gazing at the starry night, his arms loosely resting over the balcony. A lot has been on his mind what with all the recent events that have taken place, all of them challenging and experiencing. However, thinking of tomorrow made him tense. In ten hours time his whole world would change dramatically.

"Hey Sayo-san… it's me Keitaro. Whether you know or not… I am… going out with Sasaki-san tomorrow, and… I'm kind of worried. It feels like I am betraying you somehow. I don't know if I can go through with this."

As he finished speaking a slow wind crept over his face and sprinkled him with an intense warmth. In that second all of his worries were swept away. This also forced Keitaro to remember what the spirit whispered to him before departing.

"'May you find true love once again?' Sayo-san… do you _want _me to like someone else? Are you willing to put your own feelings aside… just for me?"

The stars glowed a terrific brightness. Though Keitaro was no spiritualist, he saw this as a sign. Somewhere, somehow, Keitaro and the promise girl were forming a perfect source of communication.

"Thank you Sayo-san… you mean so much to me…"

(…♥…)

The next day Keitaro woke up bright and refreshed, despite only getting a few hours sleep. He opened his wardrobe and smiled widely at his selection of bright, colourful clothes, a vast improvement from his regular assortment. It only took him a few seconds before deciding to wear the maroon shirt and faded jeans. Adjusting his glasses, Keitaro then cleaned his teeth, washed his hands and face, and tried combing his hair whilst looking at the bathroom mirror… which he failed at miserably. Not even the Gods could properly adjust the mess on his head.

The date was scheduled to kick off at eleven o'clock, and the time on his watch meant he had just over an hour to go.

Making his way to the living room, Keitaro had one hand in his pocket as he looked at the three residents with a casual pose.

Chisame sighed and calmly approached the manager, undoing his top two buttons in a swift motion.

"Eh?! Hasegawa-san?!" Keitaro gulped, instantly getting the wrong impression.

"Seriously…" Chisame replied. "…unless you're planning to wear a tie, having all your buttons done up makes you look like an idiot."

"Oh… I didn't know that."

"I have to disagree." Mana interrupted. She too approached the manger, but this time refastened his buttons instead. "The weather is quite breezy, so I would focus on keeping yourself warm."

Chisame growled and gently pulled Keitaro closer to her, again, adjusting the shirt to meet her demands. "Yes well thanks for your concern, but this is fashion we're talking about here?"

Mana tightened her lips and snatched Keitaro away from the net idol. "Well, with all due respect Hasegawa-san, there is nothing fashionable about catching pneumonia."

"Um, what if I just undo the collar button?" Keitaro suggested before the girls could further make a fuss of him.

"I guess that's fine." Chisame and Mana agreed.

"Great!" The manager said, somewhat relieved. "Now um… do you have any advice for me before I go?"

"Just be yourself." Mana truthfully replied.

"No! _Don't _be yourself." Chisame sharply interrupted. "Seriously do you want this date to work?"

"I have some advice..."

Everyone turned round to face Yue, who was still sitting on the couch with a finger raised in the air.

"…Makie-chan enjoys shopping, so I would advise taking her to the shopping centre first..."

"Hey, that _is _good advice! Thanks Ayase-san!" Keitaro said in a surprised manner.

"…oh yeah and take this with you."

Keitaro gently took a small coupon which read 'Chutney and Onion Purée juice, now half price'.

He groaned and his face faltered.

(…♥…)

Waving the residents farewell, Keitaro stepped outside and took in one heavy breath of fresh air. As expected, a mixture of thoughts were running through his head. Panic began to take control. A small part of him even contemplated calling the whole thing off, though he secretly knew it was far too late for that. With each stride, Keitaro grew increasingly nervous.

After a short journey, Keitaro finally arrived at the city of Tokyo. As expected, the ambience had filled completely with men and women going about their usual routine. Amongst the crowds of people, Keitaro carefully observed the ones walking alongside their partners. Most of them were holding each others arms or hands, genuinely enjoying their company. Keitaro wished he had an ounce of their confidence just to see him through the day without making a fool of himself.

"_Sasaki-san told me to meet her at eleven by the shopping centre…" _Keitaro thought as he took a brief glance of his watch. _"Maybe I got here a little too early…"_

However, that didn't seem to be the case at all. Just a short distance away, Keitaro had found the centre, and had a very surprised look on his face when he realised a certain pink haired girl was patiently waiting. Her eyes were currently fixated on her pretty white handbag she loosely carried with both hands.

From all the people in Tokyo, Makie's charm and beauty easily surpassed every single one of them. There was no way this was the same girl Keitaro saw yesterday. She wore a white, unbuttoned leathered jacket with a matching skirt that stopped an inch away from her knees. Beneath her jacket exposed a violet coloured t-shirt which nearly matched her hair. She also donned a pair of blue comfortable trainers and white socks which stretched tightly to her ankles. To enhance her beauty, Makie's hair looked more sophisticated than usual, and in addition she even wore a light shade of make up. Other accessories she had was her previously mentioned handbag and a miniature, golden heart studded on each ear.

From just looking at her, Keitaro realised how serious Makie was in keeping her promise.

Keitaro took a deep breath.

He knew for certain there was no turning back now.

Not knowing what to expect, Keitaro quickened his pace and called out to the angel known as Makie Sasaki.

"Hey Sasaki-san! Over here!"

Makie gasped and quickly returned to the real world. The sheer surprise of Keitaro's voice caused her to redden her cheeks. Staring at his transformed state of wear only amplified the blush.

"S-Senpai!" She replied, with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Of course, there was no way Keitaro could ever act confident for more than a second.

"I didn't mean to be late!" He apologised frantically. "I didn't know it was daylight saving time! Or maybe my watch stopped! Or maybe it was daylight saving time and my watch stopped as well! OH MY GOD! I AM SO LATE!"

"What? No Senpai! It's not even eleven yet!" Makie replied in a hasty manner.

"Oh… it's not? Oh okay… thank goodness!"

The date hadn't even started and already Keitaro was on the verge of collapsing.

(…♥…)

For years Makie had always been the life and soul of any group, party, or with any kind of company. Today, that had all changed. She was as silent as a lamb, and felt very shy when close to her manager.

"So… where do fancy going?" Makie suggested.

Keitaro didn't respond. From the look on his face, he looked like he had seen a ghost. Then again, when he noticed his friends Haitani and Shirai walking the opposite direction, seeing a ghost would be a blessing in comparison.

"_Oh no!" _He panicked to himself. _"If those two spot me dating Sasaki-san, I'll never hear the end of it! It'll be all over the internet and every billboard in the city!"_

Makie also froze. She didn't really enjoy the company of Keitaro's weird friends, and judging by his reaction she knew she had to do something fast. Without thinking, she snatched an old cap from a trash can, shoved it on top of Keitaro's head and…

"THIEF!" She screamed from the top of her lungs, dropping her handbag in the process. "Someone stop him! This bastard tried to steal my handbag!"

Keitaro's jaw dropped. The cap completely shielded his eyes, so in a blind panic he ran around randomly, causing many traffic incidents.

Haitani and Shirai surprisingly rose to the occasion.

"We'll stop him!" They both shouted.

It didn't take long for the moronic duo to stop him, possibly because Keitaro ran straight into a shop wall. The two closed in and proceeded to pummel the living daylights out of him.

"No wait you guys! It's… OW! OUCH!" Keitaro tried to protest. Shirai using his back as a trampoline wasn't exactly helping.

"Step aside." A calm voice addressed Haitani, which in turn caused his friend to stop as well.

"_Saved!" _Keitaro thought, relieved.

The moment he looked up, his friends had left the vicinity, but now five muscle bound guys loomed over him, all cracking their knuckles together and proudly wearing karate outfits. They all belonged to the same fighting club, held at the Ariake Youth Centre.

"We, the five elite members of the First Blood Arena, shall teach you never to steal from innocent young women again." They all chanted. Each word was like a death sentence.

Keitaro turned white, clothes and hair included.

Five sets of brick like fists laid waste on his already crumbled up body. By the time they were finished, Keitaro looked like he had been assaulted with an iron pendulum. Once the commotion died down, Makie ran to the managers side.

"OH MY GOD! SENPAI?! ARE YOU DEAD?!" She screamed.

Keitaro lazily looked into her brown eyes. He laughed in a deluded way as he wiped a little blood away from his mouth.

"Heh… could be better."

(…♥…)

It was a miracle but it only took ten minutes and Keitaro managed to get back on his feet. Only some kind of heavenly endurance could have prevented him from visiting the hospital. After the brief insanity, Makie and Keitaro enjoyed a quiet meal at the Décor Dream, known for its wide range of succulent milkshakes, as well as its unique selection of traditional and western meals.

"Senpai listen I'm really sorry!" Makie pleaded. She apologised to him twenty times already.

"It's okay really!" Keitaro grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just lucky the police believed my story… _this is unlike Sasaki-san… it's usually me doing the apologising._"

Makie couldn't help but mimic some of her Senpai's personality. Keitaro was hardly the most attractive man on the planet, heck most ordinary people could compete with his looks and beat him hands down… but there was something about Keitaro that made Makie fall head over heels for the guy… for every time Makie stole a glimpse of her Senpai… she felt a little more attracted to him.

(…♥…)

Despite what happened earlier, the date settled down to a very pleasant, soothing experience as Keitaro and Makie took a casual stroll to the more quieter locations of Tokyo. There were a few stalls around, with young to middle aged people selling a variety of snacks. Since they were already full from their meal, they both opted for a medium sized candy floss (Keitaro's was white, whilst Makie's was, of course pink).

They spent the next couple of hours visiting the aquarium, watching all kinds of wondrous sea life submerged behind the large, glass display. It was a nice attraction for people of all ages, especially children since they were fascinated with every little creature that moved. Unfortunately Makie, wearing a masked smile, felt a little bored with herself, which was made apparent due to her half closed eyes. She was used to excitement in ridiculously high levels, even though the aquarium was her suggestion in the first place. Keitaro, more than once asked if she was feeling okay, but Makie quickly assured she was feeling fine.

Though they ventured many places, to Makie they were kind of mediocre compared to what she was used to.

"_This… is pretty dull." _She thought. _"…but… Senpai seems happy… so I should be happy as well…"_

Her hand twitched, reacting before her brain came to any sense of knowledge.

Holding hands. Normally, holding hands was as simple as jogging or folding paper. In this case scenario, it was a mission that made near impossible seem extremely easy. Makie only managed to barely touch his finger before her hand shot away like a flash.

"_What's wrong with me?!" _She sighed.

(…♥…)

The dormitory fell silent.

There was no question that Makie and Keitaro were usually the noise and commotion of Hinata-Sou, so without them the place certainly felt vacant.

Yue, as normal, was unaffected. She was slowly reading a book in her room. Chisame actually felt relieved. No interruptions, just the repeated computer sounds of her enemies getting disembowelled by a powered up shotgun. Perpetual bliss.

Outside by the hot springs, Mana began to train vigorously, performing her usual fighting techniques. She would normally execute these techniques flawlessly, but today a rogue memory caused the native to lose her footing. This error made her fall to the ground, twisting her leg slightly in the process.

Brushing herself off, Mana looked into the sky and took a deep breath before resuming her training.

(…♥…)

"So Senpai, which one do you want to see?" Makie asked nervously.

Keitaro looked at the two giant posters shown together on the cinema entrance. One looked like a dreary romantic drama, whilst the other showed plenty of action, though the high certificate rating suggested there would be masses of violence involved.

"_I really, really want to see Zombie Armageddon Hell!" _Makie thought eagerly. _"But it's hardly the sort of thing you would watch together on a date…"_

"Eh, well I'm not sure." Keitaro responded, rubbing his neck. "Why don't you choose?"

"No. You pick." Makie shot back in a monotonous tone.

Keitaro nearly jumped at Makie's sudden voice change, before coming to the realisation that it was up to him to select the movie.

"_I don't really watch a lot of movies so it's hard for me to decide. Hmm… well as a manager and gentleman, I must make a good impression… so I choose…"_

"Okay, two tickets for…"

Before he could finish speaking, the man selling tickets received an urgent message from his ear piece.

"Huh… what's that? Oh… okay. I'm sorry sir but 'Wondrous Melody' is fully booked today."

"Oh." Replied a dumbstruck Keitaro, a finger on his lips.

"Really? Sold out? What a shame! Crying shame!" Exploded Makie right behind the manager. "We'll just have to see the other one. Two tickets for Zombie Armageddon Hell please!"

(…♥…)

The theatre consisted of many rows of comfy red seats, most of them filled with couples of ages both young and old. Of course, Zombie Armageddon Hell wasn't exactly for family viewing so no children or young teenagers were around. Just as well.

Whenever a horrific scene took place (which occurred frequently), most of the girls would instinctively go for their boyfriends for support, the common action being to latch onto their arms. Neither Makie nor Keitaro behaved in such a way. With a smile that stretched to each ear, Makie happily shovelled handfuls of popcorn from her mega size bucket. Keitaro, on the other hand, tightly closed his eyes whilst trembling like a frightened puppy.

"Oh come on Senpai, how long are you going to keep your eyes shut?" Makie whispered.

"Just… just t-tell me when the scary part is over." Keitaro whimpered.

Makie narrowed her eyes as she grinned rather wickedly. "It's over."

Keitaro opened his eyes just in time to see a poor victim getting his head crunched open by fangs of a mutated hellhound, with amplified sound effects for good measure.

His scream echoed through the entire theatre.

(…♥…)

The movie lasted a whole three hours. Three hours of head chomping, corpse stomping, body grinding action. When everyone exited to the outside world, Keitaro swaggered in every direction except straight ahead. His face was utterly pale.

"Heh heh… that was an interesting experience…" He half laughed, half cried.

He turned around, only to see Makie wearing a grotesque zombie mask, something Makie secretly bought as a souvenir. Again, he screamed, this time falling butt first on the pavement. When the monster revealed herself, Keitaro sighed and lifted himself back up. Makie was in fits of laughter.

"Woah check out the time!" The manager realised, viewing his watch. "We better get back."

"You kidding?! We got plenty of time!" Makie replied excitedly, grabbing his hand and making a mad dash towards the arcade. Keitaro didn't have a chance to retaliate.

Inside the large building was a modernised room filled with a variety of arcade machines, as well as those glass contained crane games, which were filled at the bottom with loads of assorted toys. As expected, there were a lot of kids and teenagers, all spending their money to try out the latest attractions. After trying out every unoccupied machine, Makie made a spectacular smile and forcibly dragged Keitaro onto the dance duel arena, an attraction in which two people would square off using a rapid sequence of footwork. Wherever lights appeared on the floor pads, one would have to place their own foot there or else fall victim of lagging behind.

Makie's dancing was just amazing. Her arms and legs swayed with such beauty and grace, that she even received a standing ovation when she finally finished. As for Keitaro… let's just say somebody wearing lead boots could dominate his performance. As a result, Keitaro sucked tremendously.

"Heh…" Makie grinned, still far from breaking a sweat. "No offence Senpai, but you just got owned!"

Keitaro's face was beet red, completely spent of any mental and physical energy.

"You okay?" The pink haired girl asked. "Maybe we should get back."

"I just need to… use the little boys room." Keitaro replied. "Wait outside, I'll be with you in a sec."

"Sure… _geez 'little boys room?' No one says that sort of thing anymore." _Makie thought.

With her hands resting behind her head, Makie patiently waited outside for the manager to return, wondering why he was taking so long. Just as she started to worry, Keitaro opened the door to join her. In his hands was a plushie doll of a fairy with outrageous scruffy pink hair, proof that he must had obtained it from one of those crane games.

"Um… this… is… for you." He said, looking shyly to one side.

Makie looked at the fairy with wide, innocent eyes. She gratefully accepted the gift, and instantly found herself latching onto Keitaro's arm, holding him and the toy closely with her. Before the date, Keitaro felt envious of the couples who held each others arms in this way. However, when this very action was performed on himself… he was just lost for words.

"S-Sasaki-san?" Keitaro asked, blushing a little.

"I'm cold." Makie replied in a cool way, poking her tongue out at the surprised manager.

(…♥…)

The long walk home was tiring but pleasant. The sky was pitch black, save for a few bright stars that guided the way. During the journey, they talked about silly, pointless things that could only be said during these kind of moments. Somewhere along the discussion, Chisame was mentioned, and Keitaro told Makie how she helped him out with his inferior wardrobe problem. On a whim, Makie softly replied to the manager by saying the grumpy redhead was secretly in love with him, to which Keitaro quickly countered by saying that she was attracted to other girls. Time made a standstill when Makie stared at him, his eyes looking very seriously at hers. After a few seconds she burst out laughing, deeming the whole Chisame/lesbian thing as a complete joke. Keitaro was a little confused by her sudden reaction.

The weather turned into an icy gale, but the two of them, so close together, could only feel the warmth emitting from each other.

They both stopped when they reached the first step leading to Hinata-Sou.

"Well… looks like we're here." Makie said softly.

"Yeah." Keitaro nodded. "I… OH NO! I FORGOT TO USE AYASE-SAN'S DRINK COUPON!"

Makie looked at the mentioned coupon and sighed. "You do realise this expired three years ago?"

"Huh? Oh… oh yeah… _sigh… Ayase-san…_"

"I had a really good time with you." Makie managed to whisper.

"Yeah… me too." Keitaro replied.

"…"

"…"

"S-Senpai?"

"Hmm?"

With hair overshadowing her eyes, Makie held out her fairy plushie to Keitaro.

"Could you… hold onto this please?"

"Uh… …okay."

As the doll exchanged hands, Makie rose up to her tiptoes, and her heels partially escaped the soles of her trainers. Seizing the opportunity, she placed both her hands over his cheekbones… and delicately pressed her lips against his.

Confusion, excitement and wonder spread throughout their minds. If possible, Makie felt even stronger emotions than her Senpai. It was her first kiss, and whether it was true love… or just a thrill of the moment… it felt perfect.

When their lips parted, Makie gracefully retrieved the doll again.

Before Keitaro could say anything, Makie flashed him one of her perfect eye smiles and swiftly made her way to the top of the stairs.

"See you in the morning!" She waved, running ahead with rekindled stamina.

Leaving Keitaro with his own feelings, tears quickly flowed from Makie's eyes. She traced two fingers over her lips and pictured this memorable pleasure over and over again.

Keitaro watched the back of her with an amazed expression. He certainly enjoyed spending the whole day with her… but that warmth touching his mouth… was a feeling indescribable.

He realised Makie Sasaki wasn't an excitable school girl… but a young lady full of dreams and desires.

…

…

_Author: I know it was a little less manic to what I normally write, but I hope you enjoyed reading it nonetheless. See you in the next chapter!_


	15. The Melancholy of Chisame Hasegawa!

**Chapter Fifteen - The Melancholy of Chisame Hasegawa! **

…

I groaned as I heard the alarm clock go off for the umpteenth time. You think I would be used to its familiar, hideous sound by now, but no, it still succeeds to irritate the hell out of me. Once again I prepared myself for another crappy Monday morning… and as usual I had fallen asleep with my glasses on. I seem to make an ugly habit of doing that.

My name is Chisame Hasegawa. I am nineteen years old and I work full time as a professional games tester. Whenever I have any spare time, I would 'transform' into my wild alter ego, Chiu, the Japanese number one Internet idol. In theory I live an ordinary and extraordinary lifestyle. A double personality which nobody in the world knows about. Why do I choose to live this way…? Well…I guess I have my reasons…

For the previous five or so months I have lived in Hinata-Sou, an all girls dormitory which is located near the city of Tokyo. Unfortunately I live with the most strangest people that have ever graced God's green earth. Fist off is Makie Sasaki, an upperclassman striving for Toudai this summer. I refer to her as the pink haired mosquito, because she specialises in pissing me off to no end. Next is Mana Tatsumiya, a self proclaimed spiritualist who, like me, keeps very much to herself. Then there is Yue Ayase, who works in Toudai as a librarian. She is… unapproachable to say the least…

…and last of all is Keitaro Urashima, the manager of the dormitory, and worker at the Hinata Tea Shop. How such a dull-witted, clumsy oaf could become a manager of an all girls estate is a mystery in itself, but then life is full of surprises.

Still groaning, I shuffled out of my bed and slowly dressed into my work gear. Fortunately the dress code for my job didn't involve anything too sophisticated, so my usual shirt, shoes and slacks were fine.

Just as I finished getting ready, my door knocked loudly, causing me to cringe with gritted teeth. I knew what was coming next. It was his annoying, stuttering, nervous voice that I would have to bare with at least twenty times a day.

"H-Hasegawa-san?"

I swung the door open, revealing the paranoid moron in all his quivering glory.

"What?" I asked.

"I-I poured out the milk on your cereal… so… so um you… y'know… need to eat it before it gets s-soggy…"

I stared at him in an 'I don't care' sort of way.

"…well… uh I better get to work now… s-see you later…"

My eyes watched as he hobbled his way down the hallway. He was simultaneously trying to tie his shoe laces and button up his jacket… and the sound of him falling face first on the floor was proof that he failed either of these tasks. I growled lowly to myself. I can't believe he had the nerve to even _think _that I was attracted to the female gender. What on earth made him blurt that crap out? How clueless can one person get?

Wait…! What the hell?! Did he say he poured milk on my _own _cereal?! For heavens sake! How old does he think I am? Five? Sighing, I smeared a hand on my face as I stumbled my way downstairs to the living room.

"Next he will want to wipe my own ass." I grumbled to myself.

All of the residents were sitting around the table, eating their breakfast in a carefree manner. Manager-san had already rushed off to work, so that just left myself and the rest of the motley crew. We were like four peas in a pod… only each pea was more irregular then the last.

"Good morning Hasegawa-san." Mana greeted me.

"Mmmphera."

Translation: good morning. I was still struggling to form simple words together.

Yue greeted me by nodding (it was a miracle that parts of her body actually moved). I simply nodded back.

Mosquito said 'hiya' in a chirpy sort of way. I muttered something or other in reply.

Greeting people can be such a chore these days.

I reluctantly joined everyone and delved into my cereal, which had now resembled a large amount of oat meal sludge. I don't even like oat meal, but at this stage I couldn't care less what I was eating, long as it filled a hole. For a short while I just stared at the bowl, minding my own business as usual. This is the part where Mosquito spews out a bunch of nonsense just to annoy me.

"You know…" Mosquito said with her eyes closed. "…maybe I should become a games tester when I grow up. I mean you get paid for playing a bunch of video games. How hard can it be?"

Yep, right on cue.

She opened one eye just to see how I would react. Every time she tried to bother me I would have three available options to retaliate with. One would be to throw the remains of my breakfast straight into her face. Two would involve drowning her sorry carcass into the hot springs. Three was to ignore her topic completely. Since one was rather childish and two would obtain me a criminal record, I sadly went for number three.

"So… decided on a second date yet?" I asked.

Mosquito at that stage felt lost for words. "H-huh? Oh no! It was nothing like that! That day was… just an outing together that's all!"

I watched the obvious blush appear on her face. According to my knowledge, an 'outing' where a guy and a girl spent the whole day together pretty much classified as a date. I also noticed Mana feeling a bit uncomfortable. Surely a mature, refined girl such as her could never like a halfwit like him.

She's… blushing?

Mana, the respect I had for you… has been obliterated.

Unbelievable!

Mana and Mosquito both have feelings for him!

Well… at least Yue and me aren't like that…

…oh God…

…I cant believe I put myself and her on the same wavelength…

"Right…" I said back, deciding to drop the subject.

Good. I had some ammunition in case Mosquito reverts to annoying me again.

After breakfast I readied myself in my usual way and walked into the dreary wet weather, courtesy of spring. I always carry a small bag with me, but it doesn't contain much, just a few notes so I can survive the day. I can't stand those people who wear oversized handbags, which are usually filled to the brim with their life savings and ten different kinds of makeup. May as well just drag your own house.

When I ran past the tea shop, I instinctively stole a glance at the manager, who didn't notice me because he was too busy preparing everything for his local customers. I don't know why I looked at him, but recently I seem to do this every time I dashed for the train station. Probably just a reflex.

(…♥…)

Well… here I am.

The station isn't exactly the pinnacle of worldly attractions, but it certainly served its purpose, which is to get me to my workplace without delay.

'**ATTENTION PLEASE. THE TOYAMADAI TRAIN WILL BE DELAYED FOR TEN MINUTES. I REPEAT. THE TOYAMADAI TRAIN WILL BE DELAYED FOR TEN MINUTES.'**

Correction… without _much _delay. I groaned yet again, along with several other would be passengers who waited for the same train. I killed some time by drinking an energy drink I bought from the vending machine, slurping the contents very quickly. Every thirty seconds I checked my watch, hoping the ten minutes would magically pass by. To top things off, the train arrived fifteen minutes late.

As you can tell, I'm not exactly the patient type.

Inside the train was a kill or be killed zone. Everyone walking was merciless and nobody had a shred of sympathy inside them. Other than that the train was nothing special to look at. It's grey interior with black seats wasn't exactly eye candy material, but for basic everyday transport, it sufficed. Pushing a few people aside, I managed to scavenge a seat next to a girl whose age and height probably matched Mosquito's. She had short-ish brown hair and seemed to be interested in the book she was reading.

Now normally to pass the journey I would lazily gaze at the scenery, but this time the seat near the window was occupied by her. Looks like I'm going to stare at my feet for the remainder of the journey. Well… at least I'm not wearing odd shoes this time. That was a day I'd never forget.

It's kind of weird when I think about it. Trains are amongst the fastest source of transportation… and yet… to me it always feels like you're going nowhere.

I don't know why, but for some reason I took a glance at her book cover…

"Martial Arts Advanced Edition?"

Oh crud. I said that sentence out loud instead of thinking it. The girl gasped after hearing my voice.

"Sorry." I quickly said, trying to avoid any awkward confrontation.

The girl looked at me, still a little worried. "No, no it's okay."

I hardly considered it to be okay. I mean it was pretty rude of me to interfere with her business. I felt like saying something more but before I opened my mouth…

"I'm just preparing myself for the Kyoto Martial Arts Tournament." She replied, this time confidently.

Oh wonderful. I'm sitting next to a young girl who could dislocate me in a flash.

So I asked. "Aren't you a little too young to be fighting?"

What a thing to say. I made it sound like I was an over concerned mother.

The girl simply shook her head in response. "The younger you start the more experience you obtain."

"Ah I see." I replied, already knowing this.

And thus a conversation was born, albeit an odd one. I had learned that the girl was quite the expert at martial arts (figures), having already earned a brown belt in the short space of three weeks. She had participated in a couple of 'First Blood' tournaments held in the Ariake Youth Centre of Tokyo. Oh yeah, I remember that place. That was when I almost drowned in the swimming pool. Happy memories. Anyway she appeared to be well spoken, certainly more so than a certain Sasaki parasite. As for me? I just told her of my job profession and nothing more. It's not like I can simply say 'oh by the way, I'm the number one net idol in all of Japan'. Saying that would cause me a world of trouble.

"Oh… this is my stop." I said abruptly, suddenly realising the train slowing to a standstill.

I felt kind of awkward when I instantly ceased the conversation, but the moment I stood up, the girl spoke to me once again.

"By the way, I'm Mei Narusegawa." She spoke softly.

I noticed her looking kind of embarrassed, her eyes shifting away from me. Not exactly the expression I was expecting her to make after addressing one's name.

"Chisame." I replied, neither smiling nor frowning. "Well… I'll see you later."

"Yeah…" Mei nodded. "…see you."

I promptly walked away from the young girl, once again barging my way through hordes of passengers. She seemed like an okay person. Oh well… probably never see her again.

(…♥…)

Where I work is roughly twenty miles away from Hinata-Sou so its quite a distance to travel there and back. It felt pretty daunting at first but afterwards you just do it without thinking. I guess they call it the cycle of life. Or suffering.

Ah… this is the place.

This large building is where I've been slaving most of my life. It's called Star Rock Enterprises and it produces some of the most popular, well known games in Japan. As one would imagine, it wasn't a business to be taken lightly.

I casually walked up to the guard and showed him my id, a simple white card with a small photo of me slapped on for good measure. It annoys me that I have to do this routine every single morning… I mean surely the guy must know me by now. Eh I guess he's just doing his job.

The receptionist and a few other staff members greeted me and I just waved to them without saying much. I have no time for idle small talk. I take my job seriously, unlike most of the clowns that work here.

The elevator took me to the top floor… and I had to stand there whilst listening to that crappy, eerie music they force you to listen to whilst you wait for your chosen destination. Nothing like a merry little ditty to get you frustrated for the day ahead. The doors opened, followed by the automated voice explaining that I reached the top floor. Most helpful… I mean if you press that button that says 'top floor', its pretty clear that you are going to the top floor without some robotic voiced bitch stating the obvious. I wonder how much research was gone into that.

I walked into the large room and into my cubicle, ignoring all the usual ambience surrounding me. It's not like nobody was doing anything other than test out computer games. It was their job after all.

Taking a deep breath I sat down on my swivel chair and switched on the computer. For the last ten or so weeks I have been beta-ing a game called Karate Destruction. As the name implies, it is a fighting game where you have to kick several bells of crap out of your opponent. To cut it short, it's plays similar to Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat… you know, those kind of games.

As it stands, Karate Destruction is completely terrible. Graphics aside there are so many problems that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Considering I had to write a twenty page report about it, I decided to cry a little…

Time passed by ever so slowly…

…just like every other work day…

(…♥…)

Now… this is one of the lower, demeaning parts of my job, to hand in and explain my report to my boss, Daichi Sakata. How one should describe Daichi… well let's see…

Daichi Sakata is a fat, greasy haired asshole with a face that resembles the ugly side of a whale's rectum. Yeah, that practically concludes my summary of him. He seems to take great pride in being the 'big cheese' so to speak. I would probably overlook these repulsive features if he never acted like a wiseass jerk all the time.

I looked at him whilst he scanned over my report. There was no way anyone could read that fast, so it was obvious he was skipping most of my hard work.

"So what do you think?" I asked.

He ignored me for a bit and seemed to speak only when he felt like it.

"Well Chisame-chan." He said in his usual low, drunk-like tone. "Just like always, most of these 'errors' you describe, are technically not errors at all."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Well let's see… from pages five to eight you describe how impossible it is to execute special moves…"

"Well shouldn't these problems be sorted out as well? Special moves are not supposed to be too difficult to execute, because then nearly everyone would avoid using them altogether, thus making them pointless to have in the first place."

There was an awkward pause when asshole, I mean Daichi pressed his chubby fingers together.

"Well… with your assumptions aside, let me know when you come across any _real _trouble… let me remind you that our latest game is due for release in three weeks time so therefore…"

Whilst my boss continued to drone on, I wondered how a simple plastic chair could sustain the weight of his butt. After his pointless little lecture he made a quick hand gesture to shoo me away. Now I hate a lot of people, but Daichi? He made me wish homicide was made legal.

(…♥…)

"Ho ho! Hey there Chisame baby! What's the matter? Your 'amazing' ideas got rejected again?"

As I closed Daichi's door, I felt instantly uncomfortable when I heard the voice of Kentaro, Daichi's son. I guess it runs in the family because Kentaro seems to enjoy being a complete prick as well. To top things off he appeared to be that of a lady's man. Thankfully I haven't been caught in his web yet. Kentaro reminds me of the manager in a way, the only difference is his short brown hair, and the lack of glasses.

Great. I could hear other people laughing at my expense.

"You're in my way." I pointed out.

"You know…" Kentaro continued, ignoring my request. "You're just living proof that most girls your age just suck at games…"

Here we go…

"Maybe you're better off working at a Cosplay Café or something?"

Sticks and stones…

"Heh. Well that is… they accept a red headed geek like you."

…

Okay, that particular insult struck a nerve.

'Crunch' was the satisfactory sound of my foot blasting into his manhood. The laughter of people around me turned abruptly into silence again. Unfortunately, Daichi just so happened to exit out of his door… and it wasn't exactly difficult for him to notice his son clutching his private parts. This is technically known as me being in the shit…

(…♥…)

The rest of the day idly passed by as the train made its steady journey back to Tokyo. It was a miracle I wasn't fired, though I didn't leave today without Daichi giving me an earful. Still… it felt good. I'm sick of sexist men that walk around thinking they own the damn world. Guys can be so shallow sometimes. Especially smug pricks like Kentaro.

My stomach growled loudly. Shit, I just realised I forgot to have lunch again. You think someone would have the decency to remind me. It's like I'm invisible to everyone, except when Kentaro wastes his time to shove me on the spotlight.

I dug my face into the palm of my hand, watching the ever so boring scenery pass by through the window.

Sometimes it really does feel… empty when you are alone.

I sighed quietly.

I've completely lost all track of time.

(…♥…)

After my departure, I walked into the familiar city of Tokyo. The time was nearly eight (working overtime sucks) and the sky was pitch black. I travelled from Tokyo and back so many times I could do it with my eyes closed, so a little darkness wasn't going to stop me. However… those steps to the dormitory might… there are so many stairs… it's just inhuman…

so… blurred… … out of focus…

…tired…

…so…

…

…

…

…

Huh?

Wha… who… eh? Did I oversleep? Oh… oh hell! I'll be late for work!

W-wait a minute… this… this is Keitaro's room!

I unconsciously placed a hand on my forehead, noticing the presence of a cold, wet flannel.

"Hasegawa-san! You're awake! Hey! Don't get up too soon, you've got quite a temperature."

Hisvoice.

His… concern for my well being.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

He explained that he found me collapsed just by the giant stairs. I felt surprised then ashamed. I've never done anything like that in my life. Maybe these long hour shifts are starting to take a toll on me. I don't know, but I haven't had much sleep recently. Maybe… maybe…

"Maybe you should take the next few days off?" Suggested the manager.

Okay, that was scary. Did he just read my mind?

"Yeah… maybe…" I replied, feeling a little dry in the throat.

Boy… I could do with some…

"Wow you sound like sandpaper. I'll get you some water... and…well… take it easy okay? Everyone was worried about you." Keitaro added, exiting his room and running downstairs to the kitchen.

I managed a weak smile.

Maybe I'm not so invisible after all.

(…♥…)

Over time I felt a little better and had enough strength to move myself into my room. Soon afterwards, the manager joined me for a brief time (I left the door unlocked) and gave me a large bowl of beef soup, which my stomach was definitely grateful for. I could hear the others downstairs, no doubt watching some sort of film together. As for myself… I was… I was satisfied with my own comfort.

Yeah… satisfied…

I mean everybody must know that I seldom socialise with anyone. Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's just the way I am.

I looked at my open laptop. I switched it off a while ago because I just couldn't think of anything else to do. Sighing, I closed the lid and thought about the recent events that occurred today.

I took one deep breath and made a path out of my door.

With my hands in my pockets I casually walked down the stairs and into the living room.

Mosquito turned her head to face me, and soon afterwards, so did everyone else.

Without a second thought, I walked over and sat next to the manager, and paid little attention to the awkwardness surrounding me.

"So… what are we watching?"

…

…

_Author: Thought I'd try something a little different this time round. Hope you enjoyed the story so far, and I'll see you in the next chapter._


	16. Lights out!

**Chapter Sixteen - Lights Out!**

…

Sunday was a simply perfect day for one Chisame Hasegawa. A few days off her usual routine has worked wonders for her, and now she is like a completely different person altogether. She spent nearly the whole day frolicking in her bizarre and beautiful Chiu outfits, and participated in twenty online first person shooter tournaments, most of which she won easily. She breathed a heavy, happy sigh and decided to sit back on her chair, tilting back a tall glass of fizzy coke.

"_This feels great." _Chisame quietly admitted. _"Not once have I been interrupted today. Maybe everyone is starting to respect my privacy."_

At that point her door knocked, which later opened to reveal the manager, carefully holding a tray of assorted small cakes.

"Uh, Hasegawa-san, I thought… um I thought you might be a little peckish… so I thought you might… uh want to try one."

Though taken back by the generous offer, Chisame did not hesitate to pick up a cake nearest to her.

"Thanks." She replied, still a little surprised, which in turn allowed Keitaro to bow slightly before returning to his managerial duties.

"_Now this is good living! A girl like me could get use to this! Maybe from now on I shall be known only as Princess Chiu! No… even better! Queen Chiu! On second thoughts Queen Chiu makes me sound old…"_

The moment her finger glided over the touch pad, her room instantly struck into darkness. This glowing screen she had been fixated on all this time… only to be replaced with a screen void of entertainment.

Chisame's smile was one of disbelief. Her grin was soon replaced with the realisation that she was the victim of a rather abrupt power cut.

Outside, heavy rain fell loudly onto the rooftops, and a low rumbling sound was proof that lightning was well on its way…

(…♥…)

Panicking, Chisame and Makie ran blindly into the living room, where Keitaro, torch in hand, desperately tried to adjust various settings on the electrical supply unit. Yue was already in the room, and only reacted to the blackout by tilting her head a millimetre. After Keitaro sighed in defeat, Mana gracefully joined the rest of the group, holding a large, old styled lantern. In the space of ten minutes, a plan was finalised. Couches were set up in a circular fashion and a small square table was placed in the centre. Mana's lantern was then placed on top of the table, surrounding the room with a dim light. The room looked like a cheap imitation of an occult organisation.

"What are you doing?" Yue asked Makie.

"Oh just text messaging a couple of friends over!" Makie replied, thumbing in a selection of buttons from her mobile phone. "Misery loves company, especially in times like this!"

"Except you're not miserable and we have enough 'company' as it is." Chisame pointed out.

Ten seconds after Makie had pressed 'send', the main doors swung open, in which Yuna and Ako had burst into the scene. Well, Yuna burst into the scene, Ako just sort of stood there timidly and waved. It turns out the electricity in their houses have shut down as well.

"That was unnaturally fast." Chisame groaned, wishing she was asleep, unconscious or dead. _"I knew I should have charged up my battery pack... hang on… why am I even here?! It's like I'm drawn to stupidity!"_

The moment Yuna and Ako joined the residents, the main door opened for the second time tonight. Everyone made a surprised stare when Keitaro's friends, Haitani and Shirai joined the already large group of girls.

"Why the hell did you invite them for?!" Chisame muttered to the manager.

Keitaro's facial expression matched Chisame's perfectly.

"I didn't." He replied sourly.

Chisame lowered her head.

"_I could call it an early night, but those two are louder than nuclear missiles. It looks like, once again, Chisame Hasegawa socialises with the goon patrol."_

(…♥…)

Inside the living room, there was just enough light to see everyone, which they have all now gathered around the large circle. A flash of lightning caused panic for some of the younger girls, and even larger panic for Keitaro and his friends.

In addition, it was also a rare sight to see Mana and Chisame participating this interesting event, although Chisame, with the lack of internet access, stated she had nothing else better to do.

Mana's narrowed eyes were locked onto Haitani and Shirai. Since their last temporary visit, Mana had not forgotten their small minded and perverse ways.

Yuna slammed a pack of cards on the table and declared a game of Chase the Joker, a traditional game which everyone knew the rules to. Everyone was dealt a hand courtesy of Yuna, and each player tossed away their pairs in the centre of the table.

"I'm out." Yue declared monotonously. She was fortunate enough to be dealt six cards, and it just so happened all of them were pairs.

Everyone's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"How lucky can you get?!" Both Makie and Yuna shouted. The blunette simply shrugged in reply.

(…♥…)

Fifteen minutes into the game and the remaining players were Chisame and Keitaro. Chisame had a ten and a six in her hand whereas Keitaro had a ten, a six and the joker. It was Chisame's turn to pick a card.

"_Wow, Hasegawa-san sure is cute up close." _Keitaro daydreamed, even though he knew she was gay... which, of course, she wasn't.

The manager made a nervous grin just as Chisame reached for a card of his, but Chisame thought this was a sign, telling her she was about to obtain the joker.

"_Manager-san. You're too easy to figure out." _Chisame half smiled as she changed her selection… which to her dismay turned out to be the joker after all. Actually Keitaro only grinned because he could smell her fragrance and nothing more.

Chisame was a little amazed from her misfortune.

"Wow! Nice bluff Senpai!" Makie cheered.

Haitani grinned. "I don't get it. Keitaro always loses no matter what game he plays."

"It's not over yet." Yuna added. "It's Keitaro turn to pick now."

Deciding not to play mind games, Keitaro closed his eyes and picked a card at random. He opened one eye followed by the other. To his sheer relief, Keitaro had chosen the other ten.

"All right!" Makie shouted, rubbing it in Chisame's face. "Senpai just owned Chisame-chan!"

"Know what that means?" Yuna grinned, baring all her teeth.

Chisame shrugged, not caring in the least. "I lose?"

Now Yuna's and Makie's faces were tainted with evil, as if the whole scene turned into a shade of red and grey.

"It means you must play… A PENALTY GAME!" They both replied, laughing sinisterly.

"Eh?" Chisame wondered. "What do you… uh… why are you both carrying felt tips for… woah! HOLD ON! TIME OUT!"

Her blood curling scream echoed throughout the entire dormitory…

(…♥…)

Now normally Chisame enjoyed her internet facial makeovers, but in front of a live audience was a different matter altogether. Her face now resembled a cat, complete with crudely drawn black whiskers. Even cosplay style cat ears were placed on top of her head. She looked utterly ridiculous.

"…and remember…" Yuna explained. "You're an anime cat person now, which means you have to say 'mew' at the end of every sentence!"

Chisame replied by bellowing at the top of her voice. "Idiot children! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Hey Yuna-chan, did you hear anything?" Makie teased, turning to face Yuna.

Yuna shrugged as she closed her eyes. "Nope! Must have been our imagination!"

Chisame sighed angrily. "What is the meaning of this, _mew_?"

"Aha!" Yuna continued as she pointed a finger in the air. "Well on most rainy days, me, Makie-chan and Ako-chan play a selection of games where there are no winners, only a single loser, and he or she has to play a forfeit!"

"Sooo." Makie added. "If you don't want to look like an idiot, we highly recommend you don't suck!"

"They drew fake glasses on me one time." Ako sheepishly said, lowering her head. "It took me weeks to get the ink off."

"So what are we playing next?" Chisame groaned.

Silence.

Chisame groaned a little louder. "What are we playing next, mew?"

"How about a little five draw poker?" Yuna decided, and Makie nodded in agreement.

The cards were piled together and reshuffled. Five cards were drawn for each player, and each one took their turn to throw out their useless cards in hope for some better ones. Yue was the only person who didn't swap any cards.

"Okay ladies and gents!" Yuna proudly said. "Show us what ya got!"

Makie cheered and raised a two fingered victory. "Three queens! Looks like I'm safe!"

"Royal flush." Yue stated, and again everyone gasped at her luck.

"Does this count for anything?" Mana questioned her hand, still a little unfamiliar with the game.

Yuna nodded. "Mm-hmm. That's a two pair. I'll think you'll be alright with that."

Everyone's luck ranged from good to adequate, and thus far the only two people yet to show their hands were Chisame and Keitaro. Keitaro groaned in despair when he collapsed his cards on the table.

"I don't have anything…" He said with a faltered face.

Haitani tilted his glasses upwards. "Ha ha! Ace high! Now _this _is the Keitaro I know!"

"Oh wait… Hasegawa-san hasn't shown us her hand yet." Ako innocently pointed out.

There was a thick wave of tension as everybody slowly turned to face the humanoid feline. Eventually Chisame huffed aloud and slammed down her cards as if they were slabs of concrete.

"S-seven high?!" Makie gasped. "That's like the lowest hand ever!"

"I was trying to get a straight, mew." Chisame grumbled.

"A-ho!" Yuna grinned, rubbing her hands together. "You do realise that this the second time you lost… therefore this calls for the ultimate penalty game!"

There was another blood curling scream as Chisame, this time, found herself being dragged by the legs into Makie's bedroom.

(…♥…)

Ten minutes later, not only did Chisame Hasegawa resemble a cat person, she was also stripped to a near naked degree. She now wore nothing, save for a lime green bikini. Instant nosebleed for anyone male gender related. As if things weren't bad enough, she also had to wear these massive star shaped yellow sunglasses.

"THIS IS SO DEMEANING!" Chisame roared, throwing all sense of etiquette out of the window. "You turn me into a cat, and then you force strip me into this… this sex object! You know what?! THIS IS RAPE! YOU MORONIC SLUTS JUST RAPED ME! I SHOULD TURN YOU TWO PSYCHOPATHS IN!"

"Um… you forgot to say mew." Ako innocently pointed out. Again.

"OH PISS OFF! … mew." Chisame spat back, before realising her place in this twisted little game.

If it were possible to die laughing, Makie and Yuna would be six feet under by now. Haitani and Shirai desperately wished they brought their camcorder with them.

"Oh yeah I just remembered Hasegawa-san isn't really a fan of lime green." Keitaro realised, at possibly the most inappropriate time ever.

The laughing from Makie and Yuna just got louder.

"Go to hell." Chisame replied to the manager, her voice now a low, dangerous whisper. Keitaro quickly got the message.

"Right! Onto the next game!" Yuna said, still trying to control her laughter. "Kings and Pawns!"

Out of nowhere, Makie brought out a red plastic cup which was filled with lollipop sticks.

"One lollipop is marked with a crown symbol ,whilst the others are marked one to eight. Whoever draws the crown, picks two numbers, and whoever has one of these numbers has to do whatever the 'king' declares!" Makie stated.

"So for example, you could say number one and two must… pick each other's nose!" Yuna added where Makie left off.

"Sweeeeet…" Haitani and Shirai drooled…

…

_**Haitani dream mode!**_

Mana is naked and covered in ice cream, whilst Chisame takes her time devouring the contents… and chances are she would be naked as well.

_**Shirai dream mode!**_

Yuna and Makie are both preparing a massive feast for Shirai, wearing nothing but kiss the cook aprons.

…

"Sweeeeeeet…"

Haitani and Shirai had their tongues dangling out of their mouths.

"_Heaven help me if I have a number that intervenes with theirs…" _Mana scowled.

At the same time, everyone reached out and grabbed a stick. Yuna grinned triumphantly when she noticed the crown symbol on her selection.

"Okay since this is the first round, let's start off with something subtle…"

Yuna was now the centre of attention and the dark haired girl was loving every second of it.

"…I want number four and number six to… kiss each other on the lips!" She happily ordered.

"THAT'S SUBTLE?!?" Keitaro and Chisame shouted together.

There was a three second pause when everyone checked their number.

"OH RIGHT! I'M NUMBER FOUR!" Haitani declared with pride.

"OH RIGHT I'M NUMBER SIX!" Shirai cheered, speaking the same time as his friend.

Makie, Yuna and Ako were quietly giggling to themselves. Upon this realisation, the perverted duo eyed each other and turned very pale.

"WOAH! WOAH! TIME OUT!" They both panicked, flapping their arms like birds who have just taken angry pills.

"Just get on with it." Chisame groaned. _"At least I'm not the only one who has to suffer."_

The two friends closed their eyes tightly and, ever so slowly, moved their faces towards each other, both trembling like a pair of vibrating mental patients. Their lips just barely touched one another's, and then they violently turned away and coughed to a near death status. Never in a billion years would they have to go through such a hideous experience again.

"Aha!" Shirai shouted suddenly. "You _did _drink my last chocolate milkshake!"

"What?!" Haitani replied, bewildered. "You mean you're more worried about a stupid drink than us kissing?!"

"Don't try to change the subject!"

"Um, let's continue the game shall we?" Makie interrupted, just before the two guys were about to throttle each others neck.

Round two…

Ako this time chose the king.

"Ah… I pick one and eight… and they must… erm hug each other!"

Keitaro gulped. "I-I'm number eight…"

Makie blushed. "I-I'm… one."

"JAMMY BASTARD!" Haitani and Shirai shouted.

Makie and the manager stood up and very awkwardly wrapped their arms around each other. Keitaro's friends just wanted to murder him out of raw jealously.

Round five…

"Number three and number seven have to wear… these fruit baskets on their head." King Yue declared.

Ako and Mana looked at their stick and laughed nervously.

Round eleven…

"Right! I want number two and number four to strip completely naked and cover themselves in…"

"GO TO HELL YOU TWISTED PERVERT!" Chisame, Makie, and Yuna all screamed.

Haitani's head faced the floor. "It was worth a try…"

Round seventeen…

"Me again!" Yuna proudly stated. "I want number five to sit on number one's lap!"

"Hey I'm number one." Shirai admitted, though this time he was a little weary thanks to his recent ordeal.

The bitterness shown on Chisame's face was obvious to everyone that she was number five. Keitaro realised this predicament, and thanks to his absurdly wrong opinion of her, decided to act upon it.

"Um, I don't think Hasegawa-san can do this." He said, causing many heads to face him with curiosity. "You see, well, how do I put this… she isn't very comfortable around other…"

Unfortunately Keitaro never finished that sentence because a backhand smack seemed to had collided with his nose. The rest of Chisame didn't move a muscle.

"Whoops my hand slipped." Chisame spoke loudly to herself.

"Oh… well these things happen I guess." Keitaro said, rubbing his nose, completely oblivious to Chisame's subtle hint. "Anyway… what I was going to say was…"

Smack.

"Slipped again." Chisame said, more sharply this time.

"Ooooh! I understand what Senpai is trying to say!" Makie 'innocently' said. "Chisame-chan doesn't want to go through with this because she is g… a…"

Before Makie could finish, Chisame instantly rose from her seat and forcefully plummeted herself on Shirai's lap. "There! Satisfied everyone?!"

"Aaargh! You're crushing my legs!" Shirai wailed, tears bursting out of his eyes.

"Sorry Shirai can't hear you! I'm too busy crushing your legs!" Chisame shouted in reply.

"They're gonna break! Geroff! GEROFF!"

And then as quick as lightning, she instantly rose up again and resumed her normal seated position. There was a brief moment of silence when everyone worryingly stared at her.

"Mew." She said coldly, crossing her arms.

(…♥…)

With every passing minute, the sky grew darker, and the sound of heavy rain could easily be heard as it still pattered loudly on the roof.

Inside the living room, all the residents, Makie's and Keitaro's friends decided to take a time out, and they all tucked into a small selection of snacks presented by the manager. Haitani and Shirai also drank some leftover cans of 'happoushu' in the fridge, and both felt quite tipsy as a result. Chisame was depleted of anger and energy, and all she ever did was remain seated, not socialising with anybody. She also had a bit of alcohol to drink, but still retained her strict composure. Her folded arms were covered over her breasts, just in case the perverted duo would sneak a glimpse at her most exposed features.

Before everyone retired to their bedrooms, Yuna decided on one last game, one that could bring the house down.

Truth or dare was a game where the rules were simple, yet the consequences were disastrous. So far everyone sensibly opted for the 'truth' option. When Shirai was asked by Ako what his most embarrassing moment was, he replied it was when he ventured into a night club, without knowing he was still wearing his bowling for beef cow costume. When Haitani was asked by Yue how many girls did he score with, Haitani just cried. One by one everyone had revealed some of their most humiliating secrets.

"Okay Chisame-mew-mew-chan!" Yuna said excitedly. "It's your turn now! Truth or dare?"

"_God (hic) this game is so pathetic." _Chisame mumbled, who at this stage was in a drunken world of remorse. _"It's obvious everyone goes for (hic) the truth. Hmm… I bet they're planning something on me. Like reverse (hic) psychology. So if I choose truth it would (hic) actually be a dare in disguise… that has to be it!"_

"I think Chisame is completely plastered." Shirai whispered to Haitani.

"Mm-hmm." Haitani nodded in agreement. _"Really wish I bought my camcorder."_

"I'm not plastered! (Hic) Mew!" Chisame shouted back. "Anyway… I choose… dare."

A surprised gasp filled the dimly lit room.

"Okaaay…" Yuna said awkwardly.

A massively evil smile appeared on her face.

"I dare you to kiss the manager, and your lips must remain locked for ten seconds!"

"…eh?" Both Chisame and Keitaro replied.

Both of them mechanically turned to face each other.

"**EEEEH?!?!"**

Reality struck home.

"_Why the hell did she choose 'dare'?" _Keitaro thought.

"_Why the hell did I choose 'dare'?" _Chisame thought.

"_Really, really wish I bought my camcorder." _Haitani thought.

"Wait! Yuna-chan! You can't do this!" Makie protested. _"What was Chisame thinking?!"_

"Too late!" Yuna replied eagerly. "The dare has been spoken! Manager-san! Chisame-chan! I now officially declare you lip lock buddies!"

It appeared that the only person enjoying all of this was Yuna. Everyone else just stared at the couple. The drunken haze immediately disappeared around Chisame. Tonight, for her, had to be a contender for the worse day ever.

"Let's just get this over with." Chisame seethed through her teeth.

She slightly tilted her head upwards and delicately closed her eyes. Keitaro was taken back by all this and his face inched away in retreat.

"_Wait… I thought she was a… a… what's going on?!" _Was the explosive magma being Keitaro's mind.

"Come on! You heard the feline! Get it over with already!" Yuna encouraged.

Keitaro looked at Yuna before returning to face Chisame. The redhead scrunched her eyelids when she felt his breath against her mouth. She knew Keitaro was slowly sealing the gap between them.

"_Why the hell am I doing this?!?" _Chisame wondered in distress. _"It's just some stupid game! It's all thanks to that stupid Yuna and stupid Ako and stupid Mosquito! I hate them all!"_

…and then… _just _then… the lights flashed on, renewing Hinata-Sou with a fresh source of life. Chisame squinted an eye open. The rain had eventually died down.

"Well!" She said, standing up. "I _really _enjoyed tonight's little shenanigans! Really I did! But boy am I _so _tired, and I _do _have to get up early for work tomorrow (unlike some of you) so I'm going to call this a night! See you!"

In a flash, Chisame rose up from her seat and bolted straight for her room. Keitaro, meanwhile, had fallen nose first onto Chisame's chair and fell sideways to the floor in a comical fashion.

Everyone just sat there and uttered not a word.

"Maybe Chisame-san is a lesbian." Yue thought aloud, finishing off the remainder of her drink.

(…♥…)

The next day everyone, including the guests sat around the living room table, eating a selection of freshly cooked breakfast. Haitani and Shirai decided to take the day off work, because they were completely wasted from last night. Yuna and Ako prepared a day in advance by bringing their school uniform with them, much to Makie's surprise.

All of a sudden, Chisame burst into the room, still slightly hung over. She had overslept and so rushed herself to get on the train as soon as possible. With a piece of toast half stuffed inside her mouth, Chisame said her muffled goodbyes and left the dormitory.

Again, everyone just sat there in silence. Some of them even froze in disbelief.

(…♥…)

Twenty minutes later and Chisame managed to get on the train in time, plus she luckily found a seat for herself. However, she wondered why she heard sniggering in her direction. Every passenger nearby covered their mouths and tried not to laugh out loud. She wondered what the hell was going on… and then glanced at her reflection on one of the windows.

Her head then turned straight ahead.

"_Heh heh…" _She chuckled to herself. _"This must be a dream! I'm on my way to work whilst still wearing that bikini! Not to mention my cat whiskers and cat ears! And sunglasses! Mew! Mew! I'm a cat! Ha ha ha! Mew!"_

Still smiling, she pinched herself on the cheek…

"…_it's not a dream is it… I forgot to get changed…"_

…

…

…

Somewhere… out there in space… a little planet called Earth had shook violently due to the loudest female scream anyone has ever heard.

…

…

_Author: I had no idea what was going through my mind when I made this chapter. Anyway I hoped you enjoyed the suffering of Chisame and I'll see you next time._


	17. Keitaro Urashima: Cowardly or Courageous

**Chapter Seventeen - Keitaro Urashima: Cowardly or Courageous?**

…

_Two months earlier…_

Paris… a vastly populated city… filled with a variety of folk going about their daily routine.

Some worked full hours, so they scarcely had time to see their own family. Others performed outside the city, doing whatever they were adept at just to earn a small living. The ambience was a noisy combination of people walking, vehicles being held up in traffic and the occasional barterers, addressing everyone of what exotic items they had in trade. Nearly everyone was dressed exceptionally smart, taking their jobs and professions very seriously.

Paris was certainly an interesting, exciting experience during the day. As the sky slowly faded to darkness however, every location was dulled to a near silence. Nocturnal animals chanted with combined voices. A few drops of rain fell from the sky, which soon followed into a heavy downpour, erasing all other sources of sound.

A woman, cloaked from the shadows, ran with boundless strides, her movement fast, yet incapable of any noise. She wore a tight fitting, black leather outfit that covered all except her face. Her dark eyes were frightening to behold, that is, if anyone dared to notice this mysterious person. Her long black hair was tied back, resulting in a thin ponytail wavering behind her running motion.

She was without fear.

The woman stopped suddenly, her facial expression unaltered when she found what she was looking for… a sight truly unnatural and terrifying. A girl, pale in appearance knelt beside a corpse of a man, his eyes wide open and stricken with fear. Fangs quickly emerged from her mouth, fangs which craved for fresh blood awaiting to be unleashed from the man's neck.

The girl looked up, her eyes showing disappointment since her meal would go to waste. She slowly readied herself in an upright position. Height-wise, the girl was almost half the size of her leather-clad challenger. As a matter of fact, she looked nearly doll-like in appearance. Her white blonde hair flowed to her thighs in length, and flew wildly with the unforgiving wind. Her emerald eyes could bring any mortal to her knees. She wore a seductive, gothic dress, a lush combination of black and lilac that fully exposed her legs and arms. She reeked entirely of death.

The vampire flashed a grin, baring all her teeth at the woman, to which she simply stared back, clearly unimpressed. Lightning flashed, which, at the same time, allowed the girl time to run away from the threat. The dark haired woman quickly gave chase, both of them now running at blinding speeds. They travelled through alleyways and places only the homeless would inhabit. They ventured outside the city altogether, the scenery changing to a dense field with trees centuries old. The two of them stopped when they reached a cemetery, scattered with graves and stone crosses… a place nobody would dare to visit at this hour.

Once again they met eye to eye, neither intimidated by the other. At last the small girl sighed in defeat. She lowered her stance and began to speak.

"Persistent young lady." Her voice was child-like, yet tainted with lust. "To whom do I have the honour of addressing?"

The woman in front of her remained silent, but the sound of her clenching fists was loud and disturbing.

"…oh how rude of me!" The girl added, realising her manners. "Evangeline is my name, though my friends call me Eva. Actually… I don't really have any friends so calling me the former would be… most appropriate."

"Kanako." The leather figure replied abruptly. Her voice came off as deadly serious.

Thus, the exchange of words had begun.

"And what is your purpose here?" The vampire continued. _"As if I don't know already…"_

"To lay your soul to rest."

"Really…? Well dear… I prefer my soul awake and vibrant thank you very much."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice."

A short moment of silence followed as both of them summarised one another.

"_I will destroy her." _Was the only raw thought running through Kanako's mind.

The vampire Evangeline, however, had a more experienced evaluation.

"_An interesting young lady… of Japanese origin perhaps? Although this human emits a strong aura, she certainly has a lack of experience… … a rookie with untapped potential… very interesting indeed…"_

Kanako lunged forward, her speed a blur as she delivered a perfect straight blow to her opponent. The sinister girl merely smiled at this, and flew backwards into the sky, gracefully landing on a gravestone. In such a short space of time, Evangeline distanced herself so far away from Kanako's reach.

A droning melody erupted the cemetery, words that could only be emitted from someone so dark and vile.

"_**Lilac… li lacli… lili…. Lilicali…"**_

Only the trained eye could see a violet stream of energy, energy that had encircled all of her fingers. At once, she lifted her arms up high. The earth crumbled around her. Corpses suddenly arose from the underground, foul, decaying monstrosities which howled in agony from their sudden resurrection. Truly a heinous sight.

Even more shocking was Kanako's reaction to this power, or lack thereof. She leapt into combat without any care of her well being. A few hand gestures from the vampire caused the undead horde to quickly obey her command. The decayed were like puppets on a string, and Evangeline was their ruler.

The dark haired warrior fought like a demon, crushing corpses with a flurry of blows. Her strength alone tipped the balance in her favour, and in no time at all Kanako defeated the army of the dead. Her black outfit was stained with the fluid of old flesh.

Kanako took a short breath of cold air, and the vampire instantly launched a deadly flying kick. The attack was barely blocked, and forced Kanako to shift several metres away from the evil creature mocking her defence.

Again, Evangeline chanted in her familiar tongue, this time her voice echoing loudly towards the sky. She clasped her hands together with tremendous force, and brought her arms down with equal power. Kanako instinctively looked upwards only to see the very air swallowed into space. Her mind was constantly screaming, telling her to get the hell out of the way. Fortunately her psychical form complied, and she leapt to one side, just as a massive bolt of black lightning crashed into the solid earth. Chunks of rock spewed everywhere from its destructive wake, but before the dust had settled, Evangeline had already blasted through the terrain. She ran ferociously towards Kanako and shoulder tackled her to the ground. Kanako's nimble reactions failed her this time and only watched as the vampire raised her high heel in the air, poised to strike it down into her stomach.

The fight, however, was far from over.

Summoning an impossible amount of strength, Kanako clasped the vampire's ankle with both hands and somehow managed to forcefully ram her own foot into her face. Evangeline was of course taken back by this and retreated a few steps, whilst tending to the newly formed bruise on her cheek. The pain wasn't immense but the element of surprise caused her to rethink her strategy.

As the battle continued, the rain fell mercilessly from the sky, though it would take more than a slight distraction of weather to phase either fighter. As they continued to evade each others attacks, both of them realised they had completely underestimated their opponent. The struggle for supremacy lasted more than two hours.

…

…

Kanako had enough, her veins boiling with rage for not having toppled the vampire sooner than anticipated. Clenching her right fist, she ran headstrong towards her target, desperately wanting to take her down for all she is worth.

The vampire merely grinned, patiently waiting for her prey. As the target arrived within an inch, she struck fiercely with her talon like claws, tearing her leather and flesh away as if they never existed. Most warriors would have been mortally wounded from the impact, but all the attack did was make Kanako even angrier, if that were possible. At this stage, Evangeline's over confidence was her own worst enemy.

Kanako's blow to Evangeline was fast and fierce, but not fatal. Despite every ounce of strength she used, Evangeline still managed to remain on her feet.

Both were heavily wounded. Kanako had a massive, bloody scar on her stomach whilst Evangeline suffered a few discoloured bruises on her face, not to mention the blood flowing from the sides of her mouth.

Evangeline stroked the blood off her chin, and together with Kanako's own clawed out blood, savoured both these flavours with the tip of her tongue. The taste of these thick crimson fluids flowing inside made her feel stimulated.

However, she cursed, in an unpronounceable language when she felt the elements in the sky around her. Her instincts informed her that dawn was approaching.

She looked at Kanako, who had fallen to one knee, clutching the wound with her hand.

Despite the fact that she was in pain as well, Evangeline smiled.

"Well my dear, that was certainly an entertaining performance." She concluded. "Perhaps we shall continue this dance another night…?"

Kanako's eyes widened…

"_NO! I must defeat her now!"_

…but before she even thought about striking her again, Evangeline flew into the sky, and vanished in the night.

A flash of lightning illuminated the cemetery.

The leather clad warrior stood alone, poised, wondering if the vampire was true to her word.

(…♥…)

_Present day…_

The season of Summer.

A time when brightly coloured birds sang merrily every morning.

A time when April showers and blustery winds were replaced with beautiful white clouds and dazzling sunshine.

A time when Spring… was now a distant memory until the next year.

Every Saturday morning in Hinata-Sou was a day truly to feel alive, especially for one Makie Sasaki since she, along with every other student in her class, had three weeks study leave. In Makie's eyes, this pretty much translated into a free holiday. Currently, Makie, along with Yue were both enjoying a refreshing bathe in the hot springs. Nearby the two young girls, and underneath a few large trees, Mana was found performing an assortment of rigorous training exercises. Even after an hour of physical hardship, Mana still retained her upbeat composure, ever eager to strengthen her already powerful fighting techniques.

Inside the dormitory, Keitaro was busy tidying, sweeping and polishing anything and everything around him. The only toughest chore he had to sort out was cleaning the fridge. Yue's drinking cartons only had a couple of days shelf life, and stunk like hell when unattended to. Keitaro gagged when he forced himself to remove three cartons of 'fish paste and tomato salsa' drinks straight into the rubbish sack.

Since it was the start of Summer, Keitaro's clothes had changed to a light fitting green t-shirt along with a pair of faded blue jeans. He also managed to get his hair cut, though it still retained its normal, messy nature.

Unfortunately, Hinata-Sou was now without its wise cracking, sarcastic internet idol, Chisame Hasegawa. Early in the morning, Chisame had left the dormitory and had chosen to spend a week at her parents house, deciding to surprise them for their anniversary. She wasn't one to waste time with long goodbyes. Instead she simply waved at everyone and left for the earliest train. Of course she brought along her laptop and most of her belongings, since she had a gut feeling someone would try to invade her privacy and expose her true identity.

Even though Chisame pretty much kept to herself, the large house still felt very quiet without her.

Keitaro was midway through cleaning a window when a simple memory about her caused him to stand still. He sagged his shoulders and sighed. Deep down, he really did miss her.

(…♥…)

During the late afternoon, Keitaro and Yue were browsing around the shopping store, buying a variety of food and juice for the week ahead. To tell the truth, Yue only tagged along because this was the only shop that sold those strange drinks she likes. She wore a simple blue dress, along with a pair of white socks and sandals.

Keitaro was deep in thought when he accidentally crashed his shopping trolley into the back of someone. As usual, he acted upon his natural reflexes and apologised repeatedly.

The man who which Keitaro struck, turned around very slowly to face him. Most people would have been mildly annoyed at having their rear ends being the victim of trolley rage, but he was absolutely livid.

Keitaro looked up, and up… and up… and was now completely consumed by a large shadow.

Standing tall at six foot seven was a man built like a tank. His wore green jeans and a red t-shirt that only just managed to fit over his muscle bound body. His light brown hair was a little scruffy at the front, whilst neatly groomed at the back. He had a silver earring studded on each ear. Unlike Keitaro's shopping, this guy's trolley was full of super foods and energy drinks that he deemed the ideal products to keep fit.

His name was Diamonji. As a matter of fact, he even had his own name placed across his t-shirt in thick black text.

His voice was like roaring thunder.

"What do you think you're doing boy?" Diamonji snarled at the pale Urashima. All of his visible teeth were large and shining with a brilliant whiteness. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with?!"

"Um, s-s-someone with a v-very short t-temper?" Keitaro quivered his reply.

In a second, Keitaro found himself standing as high as Diamonji… possibly because Diamonji clutched his throat with one hand, and was now holding his sorry state one metre from the ground. Everybody close by had averted their eyes and quickly started to walk away, not wanting anything to do with this giant of a man. Yue, who was once busy looking at the chilled drinks, tilted her head in surprise.

"Scrawny shit heads like you piss me off." Diamonji shouted, his voice even darker than before. "Maybe I should teach you some respect?"

His grip was solid. Even with both hands, Keitaro could not pry those massive fingers. Diamonji grinned. His wicked, facial expression was enough to tell anyone that he got a kick out of hurting and ridiculing people weaker than himself.

His free hand was now clenched into a fist. Keitaro could hear his knuckles tightly rolled into a ball of merciless anger.

"_OH CRAP! HE'S GONNA PUNCH MY HEAD OFF!" _Keitaro's mind screamed out.

However, just as Diamonji was about to land his fatal blow, something inside him… stopped. His boiled blood swiftly retained its normal temperature. He relaxed his shoulders… and released his victim, causing Keitaro to plummet rear end first onto the floor.

Keitaro gasped for well needed air, before slowly gazing upwards, noticing Diamonji was now just mildly annoyed, not the titan of fire he was ten seconds ago.

Diamonji took one final look at Keitaro and snorted in disgust.

"Stay outta my path kid." Were his last words before walking away.

Unknown to Diamonji, Yue had stood a few feet behind him. She had witnessed the whole scene, which took about the same time as it did for her to finish her drink.

"Are you okay?" She asked Keitaro.

The manager took a short moment to sink back into reality.

"Yeah… just a little shaken up." He rasped a reply, still feeling the pain around his neck. "Okay I think our shopping is done for tonight."

Yue nodded. "Okay."

"Oh and Ayase-san?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't think you should drink anything unless we buy them first."

(…♥…)

Although Keitaro had recovered from his painful ordeal, he remained silent throughout most of the journey. He could not remember such a time when he was publicly humiliated in front of everyone. Just recalling the memory forced him to face the ground.

Yue, who walked alongside her manager, did not utter a word. Before they reached Hinata-Sou, Yue noticed a vast number of large vans and lorries, speeding in the opposite direction. No doubt they were all containing an assortment of products, but what were they all for? Surely it wasn't just for a single store?

Deep down inside, Yue had a feeling something interesting was going to happen…

(…♥…)

As the two of them passed the final stair to the dormitory, they looked at Mana's meditating form, just by a small cluster of trees. Even though her eyes were closed, she was well aware of their presence, and so she addressed them in her normal, polite manner.

"…Urashima-san. You seem… troubled…" Mana noticed, realising a timid air surrounding Keitaro.

Keitaro fumbled together a mixture of words...

"Am I? Uh, well that is… because… boy the weather sure is nice isn't it?"

…and Yue decided to fill in the gaps.

"We were shopping and Keitaro-san rammed his trolley into this really big guy. This really big guy then got really angry and lifted him up single handily. He was about to kick the crap out of Keitaro-san but in the end he decided to let him go instead. Now Keitaro-san is really depressed, probably because he felt helpless. Like a fly caught in a web, or a spider with all its legs torn off."

She said all of this without raising or lowering her voice. She didn't even pause for breath.

"I hardly _rammed _him." Keitaro mumbled in protest.

Mana's eyes lit up.

"I see."

She stood up and took several strides north.

"Urashima-san, please follow me."

Keitaro's head tilted in confusion.

"Eh? But I just need to put the shopping awa-"

"Now."

The manager swallowed a lump in his throat. He turned to face Yue for support, but she had already taken care of the shopping and closed the main door behind her.

Now Keitaro was used to Chisame's anger. He could take her sudden outbursts and snidely remarks with a pinch of salt, but Mana? Her brooding silence was far worse than even a hundred Hasegawas.

(…♥…)

In the living room, Makie took full advantage of the couch, resting whilst facing the ceiling. An English text book was spread over her stomach.

"I'm back." Yue greeted as she opened the main door, shopping bags in both hands.

"Hey Yue-chan." Makie tiredly replied. "…where's Senpai?"

Yue pointed at the large window. In the distance, a flurry of palm thrusts were exchanged between Mana and Keitaro. However, as Makie walked by and looked a little closer, she noticed it was Mana performing most of these attacks, whereas Keitaro was just waving his arms around in panic.

(…♥…)

The meditation.

Teaching him how to defend himself.

To exercise the body.

What did it all mean?

Did he want to undergo the training?

Or did he just want to spend more time with her?

Those were the thoughts running through Mana's mind. Ever since the incident with Sayo, Mana and Keitaro would train at least an hour together, right after Keitaro finished working in the tea shop. There was even the rare occasion where Mana would wake up the manager early in the morning, and they would both mediate along with the brilliant sunset.

More importantly, she did all this for Keitaro. To improve his morale. To fuel his confidence.

After hearing that (in her mind) a common thug had reduced Keitaro into a depressed, defeated state… she wondered why she undergone all this training with him in the first place.

It appeared that after all this time, Keitaro never really learned anything at all.

And inside, _that_ infuriated her.

A swift palm thrust to the chest forced Keitaro to land hard onto the grass. Mana remained in her lethal stance, her hands and fingers smouldering with power.

"Is that all you can take?" She snarled, showing no compassion.

Keitaro pulled himself off the ground, only to find himself being struck twice in the stomach and once on his shoulder blade. He fell to his knees and closely shielded his face with trembling hands.

"Why do cover your eyes? Do you wish to fight blind?!"

Her words were venomous.

She turned around and walked five paces before facing Keitaro again. Keitaro could barely stand, let alone fight.

"Ready yourself." Mana said.

She blinked her eyes and stored a lot of strength into her right hand, ready to strike him down with full force.

Keitaro turned to the side. He could hear the cries and pleas of Makie as she ran into the middle of the fight.

Mana gasped aloud. She couldn't control her attack.

Keitaro was exhausted, drained of physical energy… yet somehow, he found the strength to push Makie out of harms way.

In her state of panic, Mana's attack became reckless. She had struck Keitaro clean on the chin, causing the palm of her hand to ricochet violently.

Keitaro was certain he heard somebody screaming, but his ears failed to comprehend.

The sky, the clouds and the sun… all faded away into nothingness.

"_I do not want to fight. I… do not… want… to… fight…"_

He lost consciousness long before his face fell to the ground with a sickening crunch.

…

…

_Author: Diamonji is not an OC. He is a character from the anime/manga History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi. I hope you enjoyed the fight between Kanako and Evangeline, though you're probably wondering what on earth those two have to do with the story. Well there will be plenty more chapters to come, so everything will be explained sooner or later._

_See you next time._


	18. Return to Toudai

**Chapter Eighteen - Return to Toudai**

Mana was horrified. She clutched her own trembling hand, the same hand that struck him down. Her attack was potent enough to crumble a fortified wall. 

The shock inside her ignited… when she realised Keitaro was still breathing, albeit faintly. It only took less than a minute, and already the manager steadily rose to his feet. Makie also covered her mouth in surprise.

Keitaro shook the cobwebs from his head, and rubbed away the moisture from his eyes. His vision was eventually in focus, and the gentle breeze cleared away all of his strange delusions.

"What happened?" Keitaro stammered, feeling his jaw. "Ah… Sasaki-san, are you alright?"

Makie nodded twice, more concerned for the managers well being than herself.

Mana blinked and carefully examined Keitaro for any injuries. Keitaro was taken back by the close distance between her, and his face reddened as a result.

"Urashima-san… I attacked you with full force… are you…?"

"Huh? Oh I'm fine!" Keitaro interrupted with a laugh. "Ha! Ha! Nothing to worry about! Really!"

Suddenly, Yue ran at blistering speeds towards the manager, holding a large bucket full of water. Without properly thinking she splashed the entire contents into his face.

"Yue-chan! He's already awake!" Makie screamed, waving her arms manically at the blunette.

As the water streamed down Keitaro's forehead and cheeks, an unpleasant sizzling sound was heard. Screaming was followed soon afterwards.

"Uh oh, wrong tap." Yue realised, placing a finger on her lips.

**-0-0-**

Since the weather was still humid, the residents decided to eat dinner outside. They ate around a plastic white table with a broad umbrella, fixated in the middle to ward off the sun. During this time, there was a graceless silence in the air. Keitaro never said a word to anyone, still remembering the shopping incident a while ago. His depressive state had influenced the girls around him, especially Mana who stole a glance at him every few minutes.

Makie was quick to finish her meal. She walked into the dormitory, and swiftly returned outside with a large, brightly coloured leaflet. Certainly an original way of breaking the ice. 

"Oh yeah guys check this out!" She chirped, trying to whisk away the depression. "I was rummaging through Senpai's morning post, (um, sorry Senpai I was bored) and, well take a look!"

The three adjusted their heads, all reading the sheet with different reactions. The leaflet informed everyone that a grand festival would be held at Tokyo University on the seventh of July, only one weeks time from now. The festival itself would commence at ten in the morning and would last four whole days once it began. The events included were a talent contest, a fighting arts tournament and a Manga convention amongst many other attractions. Makie, Mana and Yue were all interested in separate sections of the leaflet.

"_I'm sure to do well in the talent contest!" _Makie thought with pride.

"'_Tuftee'?" _Mana wondered. She then squinted her eyes at the fine print below. _"Oh… it stands for Toudai Ultimate Fighting Tournament. Interesting…" _She realised, concluding that the double 'e' at the end of 'Tuftee'was just a vain attempt at sounding cool.

Yue kept her thoughts to herself, but seemed intrigued that a Manga convention would be held in Tokyo. Venturing into novels, particular fantasy novels was one of her favourite pastimes, but she was also very familiar with the conception of comic books.

"Cool or what!?" Makie added, literally tasting the excitement on her lips.

"Ayase-san." Mana entered the conversation. "You work in the library there don't you?"

"Yeah! What's Toudai like Yue-chan? What's it like?" Makie pestered. _"Yue-chan never tells us anything!"_

Swallowing her last mouthful, Yue stood up from her seat and coughed politely before speaking.

"Toudai is one of the most famous and largest universities in Japan." She stated. "There are approximately three and a half thousand people on campus, and over twenty five thousand applicants every year. It covers more than ten dozen acres of grass, which is divided into many different households, learning centres and sport centres. There are two hundred and eleven club activities that take place, plus it is highly recommended by many famous professors around the globe… … and the library I work at is pretty big as well."

Mana and Makie were amazed with her perfect speech. They slowly looked at each other, before slowly turning to face Yue again. In the end, they both gave her a light round of applause, to which Yue bowed at before returning to her seat.

"_Toudai sounds awesome." _Makie wondered with a big smile. _"I just gotta pass that entrance exam… _so Senpai, I bet you wanna go as well?" She asked Keitaro.

Despite everyone's excitement, Keitaro slouched to one side, just managing to support a hand on his face. His eyes were facing nothing except his empty plate.

"Pass." He replied.

Whilst Makie and Yue looked at him in surprise, Mana had more of a… sympathetic expression towards him.

"_It appears time has not healed you of your wounds." _She thought, remembering Keitaro's sad tale a few months ago.

"Oh come on! It'll be fun!" Makie bothered her Senpai, her hands clasped together in a prayer.

"Festivals… aren't really my thing." Keitaro mumbled. Before anyone could reply, he picked up all the assorted empty cups, plates and cutlery, and made his way to the kitchen. "Anyway, I'm going to have an early night, so I'll see you later."

Everyone watched him with silence as he walked away.

Makie raised her eyebrows. _"What kind of excuse is that?!"_

"You cannot make someone go if they don't want to." Mana stated. "It's up to him, not us."

The pink haired girl had a mixed expression of sadness and confusion.

"Yeah… but… but… 

…_I want him to go…"_

**-0-0-**

Dressed into his pyjamas, Keitaro spent what seemed like forever staring at the bathroom mirror. In his own mind, his reflection looked so pathetic, so ugly, so… weak. Ever since that event in the shopping centre, and the attacks Mana dealt him during training, Keitaro Urashima began to mentally question his own existence. His shattered childhood promise. Being bullied when he was a kid. Those ugly memories had come back to haunt him.

Quickly his reflection melted away, which, to his horror, transformed into the massive, grotesque face of Diamonji. This image of his brute face laughed manically, and combusted into a demonic sphere of flame. Keitaro could feel the heat, the laughter ringing inside his ears. His eyes widened and his pale face was frozen, even though his hands had a feeling of fire ignited around them.

At once he removed his glasses and, from the sink, splashed some cold water on his face.

The illusion vanished and at last Keitaro began to feel more at ease.

He took many, heavy deep breaths before returning to his bedroom, where he would pray for a good nights rest.

**-0-0-**

Later on that night, Makie rested on the living room couch, facing the ceiling with a sad expression on her face. She gently squeezed her troll plushie against her chest, wondering why Senpai was acting so distant from everyone else.

**-0-0-**

Mana had seated herself outside, nearby the main entrance of Hinata-Sou. She supported her own knees with her arms and gazed sorrowfully into the starry sky. Though she made no noise, the tears streaming down her eyes were actions louder than words. Not wanting to recall that terrifying incident, she buried her face into her arms.

"_I could have killed him…"_

Those five words circled inside her head.

"_Urashima-san… forgive me… I was trying to help you… but how can I give you self confidence… if I cannot even control my own emotions…"_

"Hello Mana-san."

Brushing the tears aside, Mana noticed that Yue, wearing a white dressing gown and matching slippers, had walked outside to greet her. She held a carton of drink in each hand, and offered one to Mana, which she accepted.

"Um, thank you." Mana said softly.

She took one small sip… and nearly felt like throwing up her stomach lining.

"What's in this drink?!" She gasped.

"Sour cream and caramel." Yue replied, flatly.

Mana's face turned into a deep shade of green. 

"Ah… I think I'll save the rest for later." She decided, placing the drink to one side. _"Much later."_

The silence was only interrupted by the cries of a faraway owl. Mana and the blunette sat close to each other, both observing the stars with many feelings inside them.

"Ayase-san… how would you describe the stars in the sky?" Mana asked.

Yue gave Mana an extra detailed answer.

"Well, they are massive balls of plasma that shine because the nuclear fusion inside its core releases energy that traverses its interior, and then radiates into outer space…"

"That is quite true, yes, but how would _you _describe them?" Mana asked again, with more sincerity in her voice this time.

Yue paused for a moment. There was no doubt that Yue was an intelligent young girl, and would normally answer any question with attempted pinpoint accuracy, but this was a question she had to answer with her heart… and _that _made her think for a short while.

"Silver glitter..." She answered, almost surprised at herself when she said it. "…there is this friendly giant in the sky, who… only appears at night… and sprinkles the night with silver glitter."

Mana smiled broadly. _"When you speak with your heart, there is no right or wrong answer…"_

"How would you describe the stars Mana-san?" Yue returned the question.

With a powerful confidence, Mana replied almost straight away.

"Spirits… spirits of my friends… my family… my ancestors…"

**-0-0-**

As the days passed by… Keitaro remained a shadow of his former self. He still performed his managerial duties with near perfection, but his quietness had a definite impact on the rest of the residents. Not once this week had Keitaro tripped on his own two feet, nor did he catch the girls naked in the hot springs, or the shower. It was worrying to say the least.

For many times a day, Makie found lots of unique ways to pester the manager, obviously wanting him to come to the festival. One in particular involved her diving through her bedroom hole from the floor, and sumo tackling Keitaro in his own room. Another idea involved her 'surprise feasts' that she presented to the manager, which were larger than an all you can eat buffet. She decided to stop doing these feasts when she, one time, accidentally set the oven ablaze. Thank goodness the fire brigade arrived on time.

Yue also tried to persuade Keitaro, by presenting him one of her customised brews, an extra large carton filled with eighteen assorted flavours. Thank goodness the ambulance arrived on time.

During that week, Mana decided it would be best for Keitaro to discontinue his training with her. She didn't want to risk harming him again… but it felt so lonely without the nervous manager by her side. Each day she increasingly grew stronger with her attacks, yet her heart, spirit and determination had all but withered away. After a while she stood rooted to the ground, like one of the larger trees near the hot springs. Her dark hair hung lowly over her eyes… still regretting her actions… still regretting her mistakes.

**-0-0-**

One by one the days were marked off her calendar, a big black cross for each day that had passed by. A smile fell upon Makie's lips as she looked at the large number seven on the month of July. She couldn't sleep a wink last night, the future memories of visiting all these wondrous attractions in Toudai had practically enveloped the girl. Yet, knowing that the manager wasn't going to accompany her turned that smile upside down. In the end, she respected Keitaro's decision, but was still mystified by his emotionless state of mind.

Still, she wouldn't allow that clouded thought to completely take control of her. Today was the day Makie would see Toudai with her own two eyes. Like champagne waiting to be uncorked, Makie ran manically downstairs and into the living room, all dressed up and raring to leave.

"Come on guys it's time to go!" She screamed with joy. Makie's excitable behaviour almost matched that of her twin sisters, Fuuka and Fumika.

As she reached the living room with all her belongings, Makie realised Mana and Yue were already waiting for her arrival. The look on Makie's face was priceless. It was normally her who leapt into action way before anyone else.

Yue was as cute as a button. She wore a lilac dress with tall white shocks and shiny blue shoes. Since the sun today glowed with a terrific heat, Yue decided to wear an oval shaped hat, which was coloured a darker shade of her dress. It was definitely an ideal source to keep the heat away, since her pale skin was prone to burning quite easily.

Mana looked decidedly attractive with her chosen wardrobe. She wore a yellow, thick cottoned vest which exposed her belly button, a pair of jean shorts, sporty white trainers and a pair of modern looking silver sunglasses. Of course with her well tanned skin, she didn't have to worry about the sun as much as Yue. 

Makie herself opted for the more causal, sporty look. She wore blue trainers, white shorts, and a bright red t-shirt that displayed the words 'Diamond Girl' in flashy pink text.

All of them carried small rucksacks, undoubtedly filled with as much spending money (and other belongings) as they could humanly acquire.

Makie's beaming smile turned into a small sadness when she realised Keitaro was still fast asleep. She gathered he must have worked extremely hard yesterday.

Mana tried to ease her sorrow by gently placing a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.

"Senpai will be alright, trust me."

"Yeah… I guess…" Makie decided, though she was still reluctant to go without him.

The group of three took one last took at their surroundings, before leaving for the train to Toudai. With a smile they all walked on, leaving behind the Hinata-Sou everyone knew and loved.

"Bye Keitaro-san, bye Hinata-Sou, bye hot springs, bye trees, bye cherry blossoms, bye stairs, bye clouds…"

For some reason Yue waved goodbye to every animate and inanimate object she laid her eyes to.

**-0-0-**

Hearing the main door close, and the sound of footsteps fading away, Keitaro groaned loudly whilst his face was still muffled into his pillow. He felt so impolite at not having the decency to at least bid the residents farewell. He felt so useless.

Still regretting his actions, Keitaro mustered every inch of strength to pull himself out of his covers, and lazily rolled out of bed, meeting the floor face first with a smack. Not bothering to get ready, he ever so slowly shuffled his way downstairs into the now empty living room, where he found his glasses abandoned on one of the tables. He sighed as he gave his eyes the usual visual treatment.

This moment… felt just like the most of last year. Completely lifeless. Filled only with his own sad memories.

In a daze he walked into the outside world, tears escaping from his eyes as he stared hard into the morning sun. Such a spectacle of heat greeted him in a way nothing else would. Why, on such a glorious day did he feel so much anxiety?

Walking alongside the hot springs, Keitaro recognised a thick, wooden pole, nearby where Mana trains. The top segment was heavily wrapped around in bandages, giving it more of a 'padded' feel when struck. Keitaro tilted his glasses, his eyes still focused the vertically straight object.

He clenched his right fist… and punched the pole with all his might. Wincing in pain, he quickly retreated his arm, still feeling the throbbing effects from his fingers and knuckles. However, Keitaro ignited a strange, sensual feeling deep within his soul. The pain was still there, yet he also felt a sense of relief, like a part of his problems were set free.

He struck the pole again, this time with his left fist. You could tell Keitaro was right handed because the impact was not half as strong as his previous attack, and also hurt twice as much.

Right... left… right… left. 

Keitaro moved his arms and nothing more. The pain was increasingly unbearable, but this time he tried to force the agony to one side of his mind. His facial expressions had tightened. He didn't bend his elbows this time, and his attacks grew similar to that of a novice levelled martial artist.

His attacks became faster and angrier as he took out all of his frustrations and other negative emotions on this single wooden pole. By this time, he couldn't even tell which fist he was using, nor did he wonder why he was doing all of this in the first place.

Finally… he stopped. 

Both of his knuckles were filled with bloody, black bruises. Sweat poured down from his forehead.

"_Why am I doing this?"_

He partially closed his eyes, allowing his vision to see, not darkness, but shades of yellow blending gracefully to crimson. Sounds of the gentle breeze amplified into his ears. It was as though the sun had took control of his senses, and it was such an amazing experience to behold. He was co-existing between reality and fantasy.

The tingling vibration which erupted his entire body. That, was how he felt when he encountered four beautiful girls on the day before Christmas Eve.

The heat emitting from his cheeks when he was close by Chisame Hasegawa. There was something about her that drove Keitaro wild. Every day she would run by the tea shop, allowing Keitaro to catch full view of her sprinting physique. It turned his otherwise boring weekday… into a day worth slaving hard hours for.

The beautiful chemistry when he caught Mana Tatsumiya, so light and helpless in his arms. He saved her from falling to her death, and she helped him by locating the spiritual presence of Sayo. He could never forget such a selfless act on her behalf.

The indescribable taste of Sayo's lips meeting his own. 

The date with the happy go lucky girl, Makie… which concluded in a similar, wonderful fate.

And, of course, Yue… how could he forget the motionless blunette? Though her behaviour was radically different from the rest, it made her not strange… but unique. Keitaro would feel lost without the small girl, kicking the air on the couch, whilst watching various television shows.

Four residents. 

Four girls who have quickly grown to accept him as their beloved manager of Hinata-Sou.

Four _friends_.

The sunlight gradually faded away, returning Keitaro to the outside world once again.

But suddenly…

…his head tilted back, quickly reacting to a small chunk of wood that ricocheted off his forehead.

His eyes stared in absolute disbelief when he noticed smaller pieces floating around him, as if they were moving in the slowest of motions. Unknowingly, Keitaro had struck the pole not with his fist, but the palm of his right hand, causing the wooden structure to _literally_ _explode _on contact, leaving behind scattered dust and a heap of loose bandages.

He didn't even feel the impact. His hand never registered into his mind, yet it was obvious that he, Keitaro Urashima, performed this mystifying spectacle.

His other arm was lifted high in the air, his fingers spread as widely as he could manage. Again, he didn't even remember moving his left arm.

Still posing in his newly discovered stance, Keitaro took quiet breaths of fresh air as he contemplated the impossible. 

There was no other way to describe it. 

What he just done was truly and utterly impossible.

**-0-0-**

"Sorry Makie-chan! Sorry Yue-chan! Sorry Tatsumiya-san! SORRY! SORRY! SORRY!"

Keitaro ran into the dormitory leaving behind a trail of smoke and fire. He dashed around and prepared himself in a godlike speed. In no time at all, his teeth were brushed, he had a fresh set of clothes, his hands were clean, his trainers were tied up, he had many yen notes tucked away in his pockets, his hair was… well okay, _that _remained the same, but overall he had never been more ready in his whole life. His skin was tingling with excitement.

Making sure everything was secure and locked away, Keitaro closed the main door behind him and took a lingering, deep breath. His clothing consisted of a white t-shirt with a large, bloody tiger claw mark displayed in the middle. His also wore faded black jeans and white trainers.

Being careful not to trip over the steps, Keitaro then locked the door and flipped over the sign on his tea shop, which now displayed 'sorry, we're closed'. Hopefully the customers won't get too upset, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Keitaro, so he decided to only worry about the shop when he arrived back.

He checked the time on his watch and his eyes widened. If he was fast enough, he would just about make it to the next train for Toudai… 

…so he ran… he ran like the wind.

Although Keitaro was a fairly healthy person, he would normally be tired out after running past a few blocks. Now, he didn't feel exhausted at all. Was all the sparring and training with Mana the cause of his new found fitness? Without a shadow of a doubt.

Keitaro continued to rush crazily towards the train station. Now there was only a few minutes left. Looking up, he noticed Haitani and Shirai loitering around the sidewalk. As usual, they were trying to chat up anyone of the opposite gender.

"Hey guys!" Keitaro panted. "Aren't you going to the festival?"

"Yo Keitaro!" Haitani greeted and waved. "Yeah we're going, but we're gonna take the later train…"

"Oh c'mon you two! Why wait?" Keitaro replied happily. "Let's go NOW!"

As quick as a flash, Keitaro grabbed the unsuspecting duo, and was now carrying them both by the legs! Haitani and Shirai screamed and swore until the three of them (somehow) found themselves together seated with many other passengers, who, no doubt, wanted to see the festival as well.

Ignoring the ambience of everyone, including the angry shouting from his bewildered friends, Keitaro rummaged through his pockets and revealed the pink leaflet containing all the sites and attractions Toudai had to offer. 

As the train began to move, his eyes were particularly glued to a certain section… that _he _thought would never want to try out in all his life…

**-0-0-**

When the train arrived at its destination, everybody poured out in an instant, all talking excitably about the festival which was now just around the corner. Keitaro, Haitani and Shirai quickly followed suit, lest they all become trampled into pancakes. Even four hours after it was declared open, Tokyo was still vastly populated. The three guys realised this wasn't just a major event… but something truly epical.

After much walking, the trio finally found themselves at the massive double gates… the very entrance leading to Toudai itself! Even the gates themselves were decorated with red, blue and yellow balloons. The admission fee was expensive, but considering the events taking place, money was simply no object. In addition, the lady asking for the money was exceptionally attractive, wearing a sailor suit outfit with a skirt so short it was almost criminal.

Keitaro decided to ignore his friends for the time being. They were too busy chatting up the woman by the gates (and thus creating an angry queue waiting behind them). He took three graceful strides and stared straight into the bright sky. The white clouds had slowly separated themselves from the sun, and the wind was so gentle you could hardly notice its presence. In addition, everybody young and old had a permanent smile on their face. Some were dressed in their casual summer wear, whilst others wore ludicrously bright costumes, without showing any kind of regret nor embarrassment. 

It only seemed like yesterday since Keitaro enrolled here, only this time the burden of finding the promise girl was lifted. He felt like an eagle flying infinitely into the horizon. So many places to go. So many locations to explore…

…but right now, all Keitaro wanted to do… was find the girls who made his life a blessing, ever since that lonely Christmas holiday.

Keitaro smiled.

He couldn't wait to see the surprised looks on their faces.

_Author: No, there won't be any time travelling. Seriously though, I have been thinking of the festival idea before I even started the story itself… and now the time has come! I know this chapter was slow and not too interesting, but the chapters to come will definitely more than make up for it._

_Oh yeah, you may have noticed the layout has changed a tad. For some reason Fanfiction won't allow me to use eclipses anymore, which is kind of annoying because I like to put pauses depending on the mood of the story. I've noticed this 'fanficion update' has effected all my older chapters as well. But, like I said, just a minor change, nothing to worry about._

_See you next time. _


	19. Yue! Yue! Manga Mayhem!

**Chapter Nineteen - Yue! Yue! Manga Mayhem!**

...

By the time Keitaro and his friends walked through the main gates, Mana, Makie and Yue had already ventured into the vast, grassy fields of Toudai, the very heart of the festival. The clear sky was blessed with a terrific sunlight, and weather reports promised the temperature would drop only during the later hours of afternoon. Until then, everyone enjoyed the heat soaking into their skin.

The sights and sounds were astounding. People dressed up as clowns, maids and characters from popular animes, were all handing out funny shaped balloons to many small children. Of course, the kids were ever so excited to obtain one of these brightly coloured gifts. Men and women of all ages partook in a variety of side stalls (the more popular ones being the coconut shy and whack-a-mole), whereas others enjoyed the many edible luxuries held in the food booths. The scent of assorted food, both western and traditional, all accumulated into one heavenly smell. A single twitch of the nose was enough to make anyone feel hungry.

On a scale between one and ten, Makie's happy factory soared above fourteen. She was currently tucking into a toffee apple, and seemed to enjoy everyone else being as joyous and carefree as she was. Nothing could ruin this perfect day.

Suddenly, the loud buzzing sound of a microphone demanded total attention. Everyone, including the girls, stood immediately to one direction, all noticing a large, impressive outside theatre with many rows of comfortable seats. Red curtains were closed together, as if they were waiting for an audience to arrive.

Without a thought in her head, Makie abandoned her friends (and toffee apple) and ran headlong to one of the seats nearest to the stage. Yue caught the airborne apple and started eating the remainder of the fruit, without as much as a reaction.

Lots of other people followed suit, and within the space of ten seconds, every seat was occupied.

"I wonder what's going on?" Yue asked quietly.

Mana replied by opening the leaflet. She looked at all the events that took place early in the day.

Once she found the selected event, the tall woman nearly laughed out loud. She passed the leaflet over to Yue.

"Hmm… I didn't know Makie-chan was into these kind of shows." The blunette mused.

Though normally a calm natured person, Mana's smile stretched widely across her face. She observed the whole situation taking place and crossed her arms over her lap.

"_Sasaki-san… what have you gotten yourself into?"_

Makie frantically looked around. To her horror, every seat was filled with a child at least ten years younger than herself. She was completely surrounded by kids!

On a scale between one and ten, Makie's happy factor plummeted from fourteen to a negative twenty.

"I really don't like the looks of this." Makie groaned, trying to sink her head in between her legs.

Not a moment too soon, the curtains were drawn away… revealing… an evil knight looking person. He was dressed in black armour, a red cape, and a horn shaped helmet, making only his eyes visible. The knight raised both his fists in the air and shouted sinisterly to the audience.

"**BWHAHAHA! GREETINGS… YOU ANNOYING SNOT NOSED TOERAGS! I… AM CAPTAIN CHAOS DUDE, LORD OF EVERYTHING NASTY AND VICIOUS…!"**

The children instantly recognised this 'evil-doer' on television, so they all yelled, booed and jeered the way most kids would react to a classical villain. One child even attempted throwing his trainer at him, but was promptly escorted away by his embarrassed mother.

"…**NOW I WILL TAKE ONE OF YOU HOSTAGE, BECAUSE I AM JUST SO WICKEDLY EVIL! NOW… WHICH ONE OF YOU SHALL I CAPTURE?"**

The audience gasped as the dark knight jumped off stage and prowled his way towards the collection of scared children. Makie was the only one who stared at the knight, somehow knowing that the worst was going to happen.

"_Why do I have this feeling he is going to choose me…?" _She whimpered to herself.

"**AHA! I CHOOSE YOU, PINK HAIRED GIRL AS MY HOSTAGE!" **The knight declared, pointing a finger an inch away from Makie's face.

Makie made a nervous smile. _"So not cool…"_

Without a second to lose, the knight and his hostage climbed back on the stage, and the jeers began to erupt once more.

"**WHAT IS YOUR NAME LITTLE GIRL?" **The knight asked, boomingly.

Makie tried her best to make herself look like she wasn't enjoying this one bit.

"Makie."

"**BWHAHAHA! I HAVE CAPTURED THE GIRL KNOWN AS MAKIE! NOBODY CAN SAVE YOU NOW! IN FACT… I FEEL LIKE STEALING EVERY CHILD IN TOKYO!"**

"_Okay, that just sounds wrong…" _Makie thought in disbelief.

"**Stop, bringer of all things wrong and evil!"**

The knight turned around with a puzzled 'huh' and watched in surprise as four young women, wearing space suits and visors, appeared from behind the stage. They all made an unorthodox, yet sexy looking fighting pose. All of them were identical in height, and the colour of their tight outfits matched their long hair perfectly.

All the children were practically on their feet, waving crazily and cheering their little hearts out.

"**Where justice prevails and evil fails! We are the Angelic Power Knights!" **They all chanted, seemingly with honour.

One by one, the angels introduced themselves, in their usual over the top way.

"**I'm Asuna Asuka! The cool bright moonlight white angel!"**

"**I'm Sakura Sakura! The super daffodil yellow angel!"**

"**I'm Nakamura Nukamackamooka! The amazing aqua ocean blue angel!"**

"**I'm…"**

The red angel abruptly stopped herself, and stared at Makie with frozen eyes. Before someone noticed anything unordinary, she quickly shook her head and continued her speech.

"**Ahem! I'm Mizuki Mitsubishi! The crimson ruby rose red angel!"**

…and so, after the dark knight released Makie to one side, the classical struggle between good and evil commenced. Special effects (such as smoke and light) were thrown in for good measure, altogether adding to the intensity of the battle. The dark knight finally admitted defeat after the Angelic Power Knights performed their 'ultra awesome combination attack of divine justice' (which was just a collection of punches and kicks). Despite being completely corny, it was still admittedly impressive to witness. Of course, the kids screamed for joy.

"**DAMN YOU ANGELIC POWER KNIGHTS!" **Captain Chaos Dude coughed as he 'limped' away from the stage. **"ONE… ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU WILL TASTE SWEET DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF CAPTAIN CHAOS DUDE!"**

The children cheered in delight, whilst Makie's eyes still remained in deadpan mode.

"**Once again, the Angelic Power Knights have saved the day!" **Asuna Asuka declared.

"**And rescued the damsel in distress!" **Sakura Sakura added, raising Makie's hand high in the air.

"_I still am in distress…" _Makie grumbled.

"**Thanks for watching the show!" **Said Nakamura. **"And don't forget to brush your vegetables and eat your teeth!"**

A 'behind the scenes' man whispered something backstage…

"…**uh I mean don't forget to **_**eat **_**your vegetables and **_**brush **_**your teeth!" **The actress corrected.

The spectacle ended when the knights all performed their two fingered victory pose. Afterwards, the popular theme song blared out of nowhere, deafening all close by. Finally there was an explosion of light and other strange effects, and the knights seemingly disappeared from thin air. The curtains were drawn and at last, it was all over.

Makie ran like a bat out of hell towards her friends, and it seemed Mana enjoyed every second of it.

"Okay, that officially sucked!" Makie pouted, making it clear that was her lowest point of today.

Until now, Makie did not notice Yue had her camera with her, and the blunette was now examining a small pile of recently taken photographs.

"In my opinion, you could have taken the liberty to make yourself look happier…" She said, looking at a photo of a distant Makie in her most glummest of moods.

Yue realised she went a bit too far when she found herself victim of a Makie style headlock.

**-0-0-**

After a short while of travelling and exploring, the girls decided it would be of their best interest if they split up, since they all wanted to view specific areas of the festival. Makie, who was in charge of this idea, suggested the three of them would all meet up inside the assembly hall in one hour, because during that time, Makie would be performing along with many other would be hopefuls at the talent contest.

With the plan set and ready, the three girls all walked their separate paths.

**-0-0-**

Yue, now by herself, took several small paces forward, holding a large map that nearly concealed her entire body.

"_According to this, I should be staring straight at the Manga Convention…" _Yue paused to think.

She carefully folded her map and took a good look at the location she thrived to see.

"…"

'Completely unexpected' were perhaps the two most accurate words to describe this so called attraction. The Manga Convention didn't look like anything Yue imagined it to be. Rather than a large building of sorts, the attraction resembled a massively sized hole, almost looking like a burrow dug up by an giant rabbit. It was certainly big enough to walk through, but surely this couldn't be the place Yue was after…?

To the left of the burrow was a big, weathered wooden sign which had the words 'Manga Convention - Enter at your own risk' painted with a thick, white brush. To the right was a man of normal height, dressed up like an armoured warrior. He also wielded a spear (fake… probably) with both hands. He reminded Yue of those traditional guards you would see in a role playing game. His hair was an oddly styled green, and he wore small circular, amber tinted glasses.

Upon seeing Yue, the guard took one step forward and inched his spear closer to her neck. When he spoke, his voice came off as very melodramatic. He posed this 'in your face' attitude that Yue didn't really seem to appreciate.

"HALT!" He ordered. "I am Taishi, the legendary royal guardian! Protector of those who dwell in the forbidden cave! Now… state your name young traveller!"

Just about anybody at this stage would have pretended to ignore him, or run away screaming. Yue… being Yue… did neither.

"Yue." She replied, with no movement, nor hint of anything.

"YUE!" The man known as Taishi repeated. "A human from the outside world must pay a grand fee of two hundred yen… or… there _is _another way one can pass through for free!"

Yue said nothing, slightly wondering if every other Manga fan had to put up with all this nonsense.

"_If _you correctly answer a riddle from my insanely genius mind, then you won't have to pay a single yen… _**BUT! **_If you _fail _the riddle you must pay _double _the amount! Are you up for the challenge?!"

Yue tilted her chin to face the over the top weird Taishi, facing him eye to eye. "I accept."

"HA HAA! Truly you have some spunk, my petit lady! Very well! Here is my riddle! Forward, forward I always go, never looking back! My limit no one knows, more of me do they lack! Like a river I do flow, like an eagle I do fly… now petit lady… can you guess who am I?"

There was no doubt that, during his younger years, Taishi was the best drama student in school. He even imitated his words with psychical movements.

As he waited for Yue's answer, Taishi's glasses and grinning teeth both shone brightly with the sunlight.

"_So far all of my victims have failed to answer my riddle! This is the perfect way to reel in the money!"_

"Time." Yue answered, and judging from the look of Taishi's dumbfounded face, she had answered correctly.

Taishi couldn't believe it. His jaw hit the ground and his eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets.

"Eh… ah… hah… well that is correct…" He said, fumbling for words. "…but… but that is only _part _of the challenge, young apprentice! For you see… this… is a best two out of three riddle contest!"

Most people, if they were in Yue's position, would have been annoyed, or at the very least, made a frowning stare at the green haired freak. The blunette simply stood still and waited for Taishi's next riddle.

"When I am filled, I can point the way! When I am empty, nothing moves me! Two skins I have, one without and one within! What am I?"

"A glove." Yue replied.

Taishi dramatically choked to death on his own saliva, but you could tell from his demonic, blood red eyes that he was far from done.

"Make that… three out of five." He corrected.

**-0-0-**

Meanwhile, after signing an entry form, Makie cautiously walked into the assembly hall of Toudai, where lots of young hopefully were practicing on stage. To the left and right, dozens of empty chairs were all ready to be occupied for the afternoon contest.

An honorary Toudai student would remember that, once a week, over six hundred would attend here. However, since the total number of students exceeded three thousand, the assembly meetings would take place every weekday, just to fit everyone in. However, even with this information, the assembly hall was still the largest room in the entire university.

A tiny echo sounded out of every footstep Makie took. She noticed her faint reflection when she scantly looked at the polished, wooden floor.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, nervously examining the competition. _"I didn't realise there would be so many people taking part."_

Among the participants were an equal selection of amateurs and professionals. One little boy was trying to get his pet dog to jump through the hoop he was carrying, but unfortunately the dog was more preoccupied with licking his own testicles. A slightly older girl was successfully balancing a tennis racket on her nose, which was definitely unique, if a little weird to witness. Along the front row of seats sat a man in his mid thirties. He was dressed as a magician, and repeatedly shuffled two packs of cards at once.

Makie opened her mouth and smiled. To her surprise, she also found her friends she spent most of her time with at school. Yuna was spinning two basketballs with each finger on stage, and the look of determination on her face showed that she wasn't going to take the contest lightly. Ako on the other hand, felt very nervous, perhaps more so than usual. She seated herself on the platform and strung a couple of strings on an electric guitar she was carrying. Makie's eyes widened slightly. She knew Yuna was a keen basketball fanatic, but Ako? Makie never knew she even _had _an electric guitar, let alone being able to play it so well.

"_It might be a bit scary… but… it's gonna be so cool to compete with my friends!" _Makie thought, a smile returning to her face.

With a wave and a loud cheer, Makie ran straight ahead to greet her long time buddies.

**-0-0-**

Back outside, Mana stood atop a large hill, observing the Toudai fighting arts tournament with absolute fascination. The whole attraction below reminded her of a Roman coliseum, where gladiators would duel to the death, and the audience would demand a bloody conclusion. The many workmen present in the area meant the spectacle was still unfinished, though that will probably be amended later on during the evening.

"_These kind of events always intrigue me. I always find it… fascinating to witness all the various fighting styles people use when against one another."_

Despite her positive attitude, Mana's body language was evidence that she wasn't interesting in taking part herself. In her point of view, fighting was a means of defence and self confidence, not a one way ticket to fame and glory.

Mana erased all source of thought when she heard the faint sound of footsteps rustling through the grass. Her instincts were, of course, accurate.

A few feet to Mana's right side stood a girl with equal height and physique. Her long, silky white hair flowed all the way down to her back, and the colour of her skin was very pale. The tall girl wore a dark green, polo neck sweater, and a pair of army styled jeans. On her feet were two weighty looking black boots. Overall, it was not exactly the kind of wardrobe recommended for heavy sunshine.

With invisible emotions, her hazel eyes gazed at the spectacle. Her voice was soft, which didn't really gel with her tough exterior.

"Absolute strength can conquer a legion,

absolute intelligence can command an army,

absolute chaos can terrorise countries,

but absolute power… corrupts absolutely."

Mana edged her face, partially looking at this enigma of a person. Those recently spoken words… were with a perfect English accent, and the way she voiced them were as though she was memorising a piece of poetry.

Noticing Mana's curiosity, the girl cleared her throat and apologised.

"Forgive me, I always seem to make a habit of speaking my mind." She said, changing her language to the original, native tongue.

Mana adjusted her sunglasses as she glared into the sky. "That which has an open mind, has nothing to hide." She theorised.

The girl then turned around to face Mana, slowly outstretching her hand. "I'm Catherine by the way. As you can tell I'm not really around these parts."

"That makes two of us." Mana said, cautiously accepting her hand. "I'm Mana."

"Tell me, are you here to participate?" Catherine asked.

"I'm afraid not."

"A shame… with your skill and strength, you might provide me with a good challenge."

Mana's attitude turned slightly sour, feeling quite offended from her preference of words. Deciding whether to retaliate, the girl known as Catherine already turned and walked away, waving farewell as she left the area.

**-0-0-**

After twenty unsuccessful riddles, Taishi had emitted buckets of sweat from his beet red forehead, breathing like there was no tomorrow. Yue however, still stood there, staring at him without a single expression.

Taishi was practically choking on his own words now.

"What is red and blue, and purple and green?! No one can reach it, not even the queen?!"

"A rainbow." Yue answered.

Multiple veins appeared on his head.

"AAARRGH! I CAN BE CRACKED, I CAN BE MADE, I CAN BE TOLD AND I CAN BE PLAYED. WHAT AM I?!"

"A joke."

Correct that, hundreds of veins.

"GAAAARRRGGH! WHAT CHANGES SHAPE, BUT REMAINS A SPHERE, IS ALWAYS THERE, BUT OFTEN NOT SEEN?!"

"The moon."

Taishi clutched his forehead and screamed liked a victim of torture. Taking one deep breath, the lunatic raised a finger in the air before swiftly pointing it towards Yue, a mere millimetre away.

"A six foot tall Magician had a (pant pant) water glass and was holding the object above his head. He (gasp) let it drop to the carpet without (wheeze) spilling a single drop. How could he manage to drop (gasp) the glass from a height of six feet… and not spill a drop of water?!"

"Because the water glass was empty."

"…"

"…"

Taishi fell to his knees and collapsed face first into the grass, but just as Yue contemplated calling an ambulance, her adversary instantly rose to his feet with a powerful surge of renewed energy.

"BRAVO! _BRAVO!_" He cheered, clapping his hands rapidly. "You, my mysterious doll girl, have vanquished the forces of darkness, the beast of the abyss, and the demon of eternal hellfire…"

At this stage, even Taishi didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

"…travel forth, my little lady! Explore the wondrous and divine universe of Manga!"

Upon saying this, Taishi bowed gracefully and allowed Yue to enter the giant burrow.

**-0-0-**

Yue carefully waded herself through the winding tunnels, concentrating her vision because she could scarcely see the path ahead. She ascended through numerous mud-made steps… and finally the stairway had lead to a massive, underground lair, its appearance similar to a fantasy styled dungeon. All the walls were decorated with brightly lit candles, giving the whole layout a sort of rural effect.

The ambience was astounding. Amongst the excited chattering of young and old people, an anime styled soundtrack played in the background, which emitted a combination of trance and electric guitars into the mix. Stone crafted tables were placed at the sides, which were all within three metres of each other. These were often filled with comic books, and behind these tables were the people who created them, patiently waiting for customers to purchase their own productions.

Speaking of customers, the area was practically filled with them. Whilst most were dressed in their standard attires, others favoured the cosplay approach, wearing Manga style costumes, much like the angelic knights wore earlier on. Circling around the horde of customers was a female staff member peddling on a scooter whilst speaking through a megaphone. She was making sure everything was running smoothly, and was cautioning anybody that behaved inconsiderably, like being reckless in a long queue to name but one example.

Five steps into the newfound territory, and Yue was already attacked by a 'racoon girl' her own age. She was selling raffle tickets, and was constantly harassing the poor blunette to buy at least a dozen. In the end, Yue bought a mass amount of tickets, just so she can have some breathing space.

Yue walked alongside the stony tables, purchasing any comic books that she considered to be worthwhile. Of course, the sellers were more than happy and bowed many times to ensure their gratitude. Although she did not show it, Yue seemed to be enjoying herself as she browsed through other sections, which included DVDs, anime specific computer games and a beautiful array of plushie dolls, all with reasonable price tags.

Deciding on what to do next, the blunette accidentally bumped into a girl taller than herself… or rather, to rephrase the sentence… the girl purposely bumped into Yue. The stranger had long, rich black hair, which resulted in a pair of antennas bobbing at the front. Shielding her brown eyes was a pair of rectangular shaped glasses. In fact, she could almost pass off as a female version of Keitaro, but unlike the manager, her facial expression overflowed with a beaming personality. Covering her busty figure was a purple shirt, and over that was a large white apron, tainted with numerous paint splotches. She also wore brown slacks and black shoes, and her age was probably around sixteen or seventeen.

"Oh, I'm _so _sorry little girl, but I didn't see you there! I'm Haruna by the way! What's your name?" She apologised, introduced and asked respectfully.

"Yue." Yue replied, completely un-phased as usual.

The girl known as Haruna lowered herself to Yue's level, winking at her whilst wagging a finger in the air. "Do you like Manga?"

"…" Yue replied.

"Of course you do! What about paintings?"

"…"

"Me too! Would you like me an my group to paint a picture of yourself? Only 1800 yen each!"

"…"

"Fantastic! Follow me!"

Unsure of what just happened, Yue found herself airborne as the whacky artist dragged her arm for the next two or so minutes.

**-0-0-**

Looking like the perfect doll, Yue had placed herself on a wooden stool. Four metres away, not only Haruna, but two other girls as well, had seated themselves opposite the now curious blunette. Haruna had donned a white beret on top of her head, and the girls to Haruna's left wore the same attire as she did. All of them were about to paint on their equally sized canvases.

Haruna spoke with a grin. "Allow me to introduce ourselves! As you know already, I'm Haruna, the self obsessed Queen of Manga!" Then she kind of trailed off with the last sentence, "aaand these are my co-workers Konoka-chan and Nodoka-chan…"

The girl on the far left, known as Konoka, had a hairstyle similar to Haruna, but was more neatly groomed and it was without the twin antennas. Her eyes were also brown, and her height and bust size stood somewhere in between Haruna's and Yue's. Personality wise, Konoka certainly looked cheerful… perhaps… a little _too _cheerful.

The girl in the middle, known as Nodoka, had a rather short blue hairstyle, which appeared to completely cover up her eyes. She was definitely the more nervous of the three. In fact she was probably the most nervous girl in the whole convention. Her height and figure was a close match to Konoka.

From the looks of things, Konoka, Nodoka and Haruna all attempted to paint a portrait of Yue. Whilst painting, Haruna hurled Yue with an onslaught of rapid conversation.

"So what was your name again little girl?"

"Yue."

"Right, and how old are you? Ten?"

"Sixteen."

"Ha ha! Okay seriously how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any boyfriends?"

"No."

"Girlfriends?"

"No."

"Are you looking for a boyfriend, or a girlfriend?"

"No."

"Okay…"

For the moment, Haruna had (thankfully) stopped speaking, much to Yue's relief. Amongst the ambience of people, there was only the sounds of brush meeting canvases. During this time, Yue carefully analysed all three girls, one by one.

Whilst painting, Konoka had a permanent eye smile on her face, whilst her head was constantly swaying left and right. It was as if her brain had been replaced with helium.

"_Air head." _Yue thought.

She then turned to face the girl in the middle. How she managed to paint with concealed eyes was nothing short of amazing, or disastrous, considering Yue had not yet seen the finished piece. There was a moment when part of Nodoka's hair was revealed, exposing a sky blue eye. When visual contact was made between them, the girl sounded a quick gasp and buried her face back in the canvas.

"_Nervous wreck." _Yue summarised.

…and then there was Haruna. Closing her left eye and poking her tongue out, Haruna appeared to work the hardest of the three, though Yue seemed to dislike this girl the most.

"_Really annoying." _Were perhaps the best choice of words Yue could think of.

Yue began to wonder how long this was going to take, since her rear end started to feel increasingly numb. Fortunately everyone had finished before Yue had lost the feeling completely.

"Ta-da!" Haruna and Konoka shouted together. Nodoka just muffled a whisper which translated into 'done'.

One after the other, the trio flipped over their pictures.

Konoka's masterpiece looked somewhat… dysfunctional. Eyes, nose and ears were all completely out of place, and there were so many bright colours, Yue wondered if Konoka actually looked at her at all.

"Is that cubism?" Yue questioned.

"No, it's a painting silly!" Konoka answered chirpily.

A trickle of sweat ran down Yue's forehead.

Yue then glanced at Nodoka's drawing. Although it could be best described as amateurish, at least the picture _looked _like Yue and not some warped pseudo disaster like the previous one. Overall, it was not a bad effort, considering the fact that Nodoka painted it in near blindness.

Haruna, however, was true to her title. Her picture was nearly flawless, and it captured all of Yue's personality (or lack thereof) with amazing attention to detail.

As quick as a flash, Yue had exchanged money with the pictures and tried to run desperately back to the outside world. She concluded that everyone was much too weird for her to handle, and _that _had to be saying something, considering Yue wasn't exactly your everyday normal girl. She stopped abruptly when she was blocked by a wall of customers. They were not purposely stopping her, they were just really fascinated in the event that took part right this instant. Realising she wasn't going anywhere soon, Yue turned around and wondered what all the commotion was all about.

A few metres away, a spectacular grand stage had appeared, quite similar to the one Makie visited earlier on. Circles of lights travelled in random patterns, making the overall event feel like an awards presentation you'd see on television.

Out of the blue, a spiky green haired man ran onto the stage with a combination of back flips and somersaults. Come to think of it, he looked very similar to the guard Yue was talking to outside…

…on closer inspection, Yue came to figure out that _was _the guard Yue was talking to outside.

Microphone in hand, Taishi proceeded to greet everyone around him. This time he wore a rainbow coloured tuxedo, a green shirt and blue suede shoes. Even the buttons on his jacket were each with different colours.

"**Ladies and gentlemen! Warriors and amazons! Aliens and gargoyles! Allow me, Taishi Kuhonbutsu, to introduce to you! The latest! The greatest! The FIRST EVER TOUDAI FESTIVAL MANGA CONVENTION!"**

Surrounded by cheering freaks and fans, Yue had no choice but to wait and see what was in store…

**-0-0-**

During the next twenty minutes, Yue and everyone else watched all the crazy events unfold, the most popular being the cosplay catwalk (where some women strut their physiques, actually wearing cat suits) and the anime auction, where a plushie of a turtle was sold for the ridiculous sum of 15,000 yen. Another event involved one of the guests being spanked to death by a dominatrix… just to win a collection of comic books. Thank goodness there were no children to witness this crude act.

"…**and finally noble fans, the final event!" **Taishi said with a grand flourish. **"Last but certainly not least, is the RAFFLE DRAW THAT TIME FORGOT! The first prize is a one metre sized bar of 'Anime Toffee Chew'! The greatest chew there is!"**

A bunny girl walked on stage, holding a large yellow bucket filled with pink raffle tickets. At once, Taishi stuck his hand right in, and pulled out the winning number.

"**Let's see…" **He began to read. **"The winner of the first prize is number one! Woah! What are the odds?! Does anyone have a number one?"**

Yue struck it lucky, and dangled the number high into the air for everyone to see.

"**AHA! It's Yue, the girl who thwarted my riddle challenge!" **Exclaimed Taishi, who gracefully offered the prize to the blunette. Cheers erupted everywhere.

As Yue proceeded to walk back to her spot, she had a deep feeling something wasn't right. To her sheer horror, she only just realised that the racoon girl had sold her every… single… ticket. She had the whole lot tucked inside her pocket!

Taishi pulled out the second ticket. This one was for a cosplay witch outfit, which was ever so coincidently the same size as a certain monotonic girl…

"**Right! I am holding number forty eight! Who has forty eight?!"**

Yue, again, held out the winning ticket.

"**HA HA! YUE WINS AGAIN! CONGRATULATIONS!"**

The next ticket was revealed…

"…**AND YUE WINS YET AGAIN WITH NUMBER SIXTY SIX! SHE WINS THE SUPER RARE CARD CAPTOR SAKURA MAGICIAL WAND!"**

After a few minutes, Yue, now dressed in a witch's outfit, had won the following; the metre sized long toffee bar, the witch's costume, a magic Card Captor Sakura wand, a red riding hood costume, a rare edition sailor moon costume, an ultra rare comic book with holographic front cover, a pair of red stress balls with Taishi's face pictured on… and about ten dozen other items that were so absurdly indescribable. Yue… had won the lot.

"…**AND YUE WINS FOR THE FINAL TIME!" **Taishi shouted out, his voice still loud and dramatic after all this time. "**NOW EVERYONE! SHOUT WITH ME! ALL HAIL QUEEN YUE! THE ULTIMATE AMAZON OF TOUDAI FESTIVAL!"**

"ALL HAIL QUEEN YUE! THE ULTIMATE AMAZON OF TOUDAI FESTIVAL!"

The chanting had lasted for ages, and Yue didn't know whether to feel flattered or downright embarrassed.

**-0-0-**

Since Haitani and Shirai already ditched Keitaro in favour of 'chick hunting', Keitaro wondered around the vast field where the girls inhabited earlier. So far, luck was not on his side. He couldn't find any of the girls, and he missed all of the major events by only a few minutes.

After a moments walk, the manager found himself beside a large burrow, and next to it was a dumb looking green haired scarecrow, no doubt a replacement for the real green haired weirdo. His eyes widened when a horde of people emerged from the hole, some with costumes that reminded him of a few anime shows he used to watch. He sighed, realising he missed yet another event. His downcast expression didn't last to long, however, since amongst the rabble, Yue herself had appeared from the middle of the crowd.

Keitaro was more than pleased to see her. "Hey Yue-chan! Over here!" He called out. _"Woah! Cool costume!"_

At once Yue's head turned around, and was genuinely surprised to see him. "Keitaro-san…"

She quickened her pace and now stood within a metre of the manager. She had a petit smile on her face, a smile that Keitaro thought would never see on a girl like Yue.

"…so you came after all." Yue said, to which Keitaro nodded.

Before they could say anything else, a massive, roaring motorbike revved out of the burrow and shot off into the sky. Again, it was the lunatic Taishi, and strapped behind his waist was a huge box containing all of Yue's belongings. His also wore a warrior helmet, since he didn't possess a regular one, like regular people would.

Once again, his glasses glimmered with the sunlight.

"RIDE MY MIGHTY STALLION! RIDE INTO THE SUNSET, AND DELIVER THE AMAZON'S PACKAGE TO THIS PLACE KNOWN AS HINATA-SOU! TALLY - HOEEEE!"

Yue and Keitaro, and pretty much everyone else stared in bewilderment as Taishi and the 'Taishi-Cycle' travelled in blistering speeds, nearly knocking anyone that got in his way.

Keitaro coughed from the smoke fumes and knitted his eyebrows. "Long story?"

Yue nodded.

"Long story."

…

…

_Author: Okay, a few new characters to list…_

_Taishi is a character from the anime/manga 'Comic Party'… and yes, his personality has always been over the top._

_Catherine is my second original character… shrouded with mystery, for the time being at least._

_And let's not forget Nodoka, Haruna and Konoka. No doubt you're going to see them in future chapters. Haruna's my second favourite character by the way (Chisame being the first)._

_I hope you enjoyed the story so far! I thought it would make a nice change to put Yue in the spotlight this time._

_Next chapter: The Toudai Talent Contest!_


	20. Toudai Talent Extravaganza!

Focusing her face on the small, oval shaped mirror, the girl experimented with a variety of makeup, all displayed neatly on the table in front of her.

Three knocks on the door alerted her sense of concentration. "Come in!" She said cheerily.

The door creaked open, revealing a middle aged man. He looked more than pleased to see her.

The girl swung her swivel chair and faced the man with a delightful smile. "Oh, Masayoshi-san… hi."

"Hey…" the man greeted back, "…I just came in to say thanks for taking part as one of the… Angelic Knights on such short notice. Seriously, without your help, it would have been a disaster."

"No problem! It was pretty fun doing it!" The girl replied.

The man checked the time on his wristwatch. "We have just under forty minutes until it begins."

"Mmm-hmm." She said, trying out some eyeliner. "Not much longer to go."

"Thanks for your help, and sorry for the intrusion."

With that, the man bowed lowly before closing the door behind him.

…

**Chapter Twenty - Toudai Talent Extravaganza! **

…

Weaving through the crowds, Yue and Keitaro ran as fast as they could. Yue's watch showed that they only had five minutes left until the talent contest would finally commence. Fortunately Keitaro remembered most of the well known landmarks, so they arrived by the main campus with just enough time on their hands. Standing beside the entrance was a man towering over six foot tall, wearing a black suit and sunglasses. He reminded people of those bouncers you see patrolling around night clubs, making sure everyone was well behaved.

Come to think of it… where was everyone else? Knitting his eyebrows, Keitaro scouted around the vicinity but other than the guard, Yue and himself, there was not a soul intact.

Keitaro stuttered a greeting to the guard. "Um… h-hi. Excuse me? Is this where the talent contest is held?"

The guard preferred to let his actions speak louder than words, and pointed to a nearby sign which read 'Talent Contest'. Keitaro realised his idiocy.

"Spectators must wait half an hour before they are allowed entry." The security guard stated with a low, serious voice.

"Excuse me but I'm here to perform." Said Yue who raised a hand.

The guard looked down at Yue, noticing the witch costume she wore. He accepted her with a nod.

"Very well, get in."

"Wait! Ayase-san! What's going on? Are you taking part?!" Keitaro asked with confusion.

Yue turned around. "Yeah, the rehearsals start earlier than the actual event. I probably should have mentioned that to you."

"_It would have helped." _Keitaro thought. "Well… okay. Guess I'll see you in half an hour. Good luck!"

Yue posed a victory sign before allowing the guard to escort her inside.

**-0-0-**

By himself once more, Keitaro decided to kill some time by taking part in some of the nearby game stalls… but as he played them, he became infected by the virus known as 'worse luck ever'. He failed to hit a single coconut at the coconut shy, and was simply too inaccurate when it came to wielding the rifle he used for the duck shoot. At another stall, he played a game called 'Play your cards right'. Five cards were face down, and the first card was flipped upwards. From then on, Keitaro had to guess if the value would be higher or lower than the previous card… which was the queen of spades. Wisely he guessed lower, but to his utter dismay, the second card revealed to be the king of hearts. Groups of people began to walk away from him, lest they became infected with his terrible luck disease.

"All I managed to win was this yellow cat on a key-ring." He groaned to himself, dangling the mentioned gift on his finger, "and even that was just a consolation prize!"

Sagging his shoulders, Keitaro decided to check out some other places. Fortunately for him, not all of them were game stalls, some sold exotic food and drink, whereas others sold toys of various sizes, similar to what you would see in a mecha-anime show. Keitaro, however, seemed more focused on a small, open top store with the words 'Madam Mystique' placed hauntingly at the bottom. Behind this store sat a small old lady, dressed uniquely in purple and green robes. She carefully sipped a tiny cup of tea with both hands. It appeared that so far, not one person had even acknowledged this attraction, but that didn't seem to phase her calm demeanour.

Keitaro looked at the sign nearby, which read 'have your fortune told, 200 yen'.

"_Might as well give this a try." _He decided.

Stealing his nerve, Keitaro walked boldly to the store and sat on the seat opposite this mysterious lady, known as Madam Mystique. An old, but sturdy wooden table was placed between them. The moment he sat down, Mystique stretched out the palm of her hand. Keitaro wondered what she was doing, then quickly noticed she wanted payment, so he fumbled in his pockets and offered her a 200 yen coin.

With eyes shut, the old lady obtained a deck of tarot cards, split them down the middle, and shuffled both halves in an impressive display. She carefully placed one card face up, and two cards face down.

The card on the left revealed a picture of a heart on a sky-like background.

"The symbol of love..." The old lady stated in a clear voice. "…but… alas, the heart is upside-down, meaning… a harrowing tragedy has taken this love away from you."

Keitaro sighed as his eyes met the picture. _"Sayo-san…"_

Mystic briefly stared at her customer with cold, emotionless eyes. She then moved her hand over to flip the card in the middle. Beneath showed a picture of a sword wielding warrior, facing off against a furious giant on a hillside. The dark sky was combined with a large streak of lightning, altogether giving the card quite a dramatic effect.

"Is that… David and Goliath?" Keitaro asked suspiciously.

"Indeed." The lady replied. "This card represents a challenge greater than you have ever faced, though whether or not you succeed… is another matter entirely."

With two cards turned over, the lady carefully flipped over the third. Her eyes widened. The picture showed the grim reaper himself, menacingly holding a scythe smothered in fire. The background was completely black. Keitaro flinched when he stared into the grinning skeleton, almost falling backwards off his chair.

"D-D-Death?!" He quivered, feeling very light headed.

Mystique nodded. "Quite… this is… the reaper. How you managed to provoke the dark one is a question beneath questions. Although I regret saying this… the future ahead of you is quite bleak."

The old lady closed her eyes.

"You may now leave."

After bowing to Madam Mystic, Keitaro left the open store and continued to explore the festival. He felt like gravity was weighing heavily upon him.

He took a deep breath and sighed. _"Surely that was all just a big misunderstanding… yeah… maybe she accidentally read someone else's future. Then again… she was right about the first card… but the grim reaper?… No… that cannot possibly be true…_

…

…_can it?"_

Not concentrating where he was going, Keitaro stumbled into the back of a tall woman. He seemed to make a habit of bumping into people, and if her personality was anything like that brute Diamonji then he would be in serious trouble. Part of him considered running away before she even noticed… but being the gentleman in training, Keitaro decided to apologise and await his divine punishment.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you! It's not like I'm trying to hit on you or anything! Not that you're ugly! I wouldn't even dream to think you were ugly! It's just that…"

However, when he took a good look at her… he realised this woman wasn't a stranger at all.

Both of them stared eye to eye. They were both surprised and… delighted to see each other.

"Ma… Tatsumiya-san!" Keitaro said, grasping for the correct thing to say.

Mana removed her sunglasses, revealing her widened blue eyes.

"Kei… Urashima-san! You're here!" She replied, still surprised.

For a moment, the two of them looked as though they were going to embrace each other. However, when they realised what they were doing, Mana and Keitaro abruptly discontinued their silly little fantasy. With crimson faces, both looked away to one side, rubbing the backs of their necks whilst feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Keitaro managed to follow on from his awkward introduction. "It's… it's good to see you."

"Likewise." Mana softly replied.

"So…"

"…so…"

"…are you visiting the talent contest?" They both asked.

Mana promptly cleared her throat and nodded. "Sasaki-san has been rehearsing for quite a while now."

"I can't wait to see her in action!" Keitaro said, smiling. "Oh yeah, and Yue-chan has joined the contest as well!"

"Really?" Mana questioned, with a smile of her own. "Heh… that does not amaze me. Ayase-san is full of surprises."

"Ha ha… yeah…"

"So…"

"…shall we get going?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay!"

After the interesting string of conversation, Mana and Keitaro, side by side, walked their way back to the main campus, where there was now a long line of people waiting.

**-0-0-**

The assembly hall was almost packed out, and the few empty seats were rapidly filling up. Families, groups of teenagers and even a few elderly people were all talking amongst themselves, which overall, combined to form a rather pleasing atmosphere.

As Mana and Keitaro sidestepped their way through the people, the two of them were fortunate enough to find two seats unoccupied, both on the end of the same row.

"Excuse me, are these seats taken?" Keitaro asked the person next to him.

This stranger… certainly looked like an interesting character. He was six foot tall and had neck length black hair, which was pulled back with a beige headband. He wore a pair of oval shaped dark sunglasses as if they were attached to him. He also had on a sky blue, short sleeved shirt, a pair of grey jeans and black laced shoes. Age-wise, he looked around nineteen, and with his muscular physique, he didn't look like the sort of guy one would mess with.

When he was asked the question, the man looked at Keitaro a little suspiciously, but nodded regardless. There was definitely an eerie, quiet air around him.

Keitaro sat next to this reserved person, whilst Mana sat next to Keitaro. They were two rows behind the main stage. Keitaro smiled when he noticed Haitani and Shirai amongst the crowd, though they were quite a distance away. He kind of expected them to be around, and knowing those two, they would be selling their souls, just for the off chance that an exotic belly dancer would appear as one of the many performers in this contest.

After a few minutes, the assembly hall slowly faded into a dim light, causing the ambience to fall gradually silent. Keitaro, as well as much of the audience, could not help but feel a tinge of excitement. Mana simply relaxed a little and smiled. It felt good to share his company again.

The bright red curtains were now drawn, which only served to increase the excitement further. A lone microphone on a stand was placed in the centre. Seconds later, a man dressed in a grey suit walked confidently onto the stage. He had short, greyish black hair, and stood fairly tall at five foot ten. Despite being in his mid fifties, he looked and acted like the modest gentleman, and his gentle voice perfectly matched his persona.

Only his voice, amplified from the microphone, echoed throughout the hall.

"**Greetings, and welcome to our grand spectacle of the afternoon! I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made the effort to arrive here, especially those who have travelled long journeys. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you."**

Upon saying this produced a pleasant round of applause from the audience. Keitaro, however, nearly gasped out loud when he realised who the gentleman was.

"_That's… Masayoshi Natome! He's the principal of Toudai!" _He thought, remembering his appearance some years ago.

Waiting for the clapping of hands to fade away, the principal had a few other words to say.

"**Remember, this is only a friendly contest, and keep in mind most of our performers have been rehearsing since this morning. Therefore, your support and respect are both highly appreciated."**

A small grin appeared on Masayoshi's face. He knew his next string of words would literally bring the house down.

"**Also… I have a very special guest in store for you this afternoon! Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, allow me to introduce to you… the number one internet idol in all of Japan… the one… the only… Chiu!"**

Nearly everyone shot out of the seats, clearly amazed, beyond ecstatic. Despite all the main attractions in Toudai, this one easily surpassed them all. The principle turned to the left side and applauded with everyone else.

A few seconds later, a woman in her early twenties gracefully walked on the stage. She received a tremendous, roaring ovation when she greeted Masayoshi, giving him a delicate peck on the cheek before receiving the microphone. As he left the area, the principle silently prayed his wife wasn't in the audience.

Chiu was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most beautiful young lady ever to grace the planet. Her dazzling appearance alone was enough to make even the top supermodel look ordinary in comparison. The idol wore a purple, floral dress which finished two inches away from her knees, as well as having a slightly exposing v-neck, complementing her brilliant physique. On her feet were a pair of rather uncomfortable looking high heel shoes, though they proved to be no handicap when she walked with these on. In addition, her long, silky red hair was also dyed with thin streaks of lilac, and the tiny amount of makeup on her face made her look even more amazing, if that were possible.

At this moment, the audience were practically slaves, chanting her name like she was their goddess. The only ones who didn't probably never heard of the internet. Either that or they were just jealous.

Keitaro, unsurprisingly, was well and truly gob smacked. It appeared that the bombshell Masayoshi unleashed still had a lingering effect on the bewildered manager. His mouth was so largely agape that his throat was starting to dry up. All those images of Chiu on the webpage gave him goose bumps… and now there she was. In the flesh. In the soul.

The guy next to Keitaro, amazingly, stored the same attitude he had a few minutes ago. He still applauded like everyone else, but overall didn't show much enthusiasm. Come to think of it, Mana and quite a few people on that row didn't seem too interested either.

Immediately, a line of security guards appeared (seemingly out of thin air) below the stage, just in case any crazed Chiu fan wanted to greet the idol… personally.

Eventually, Chiu had placed the microphone near her mouth and spoke in a very excited and chirpy way.

"**Hiya everybody! I just want to say it's great to see all my adorable Chiu fans in person! But this show is not about me, it's about all the young hopefuls who want to dazzle us with their wonderful talent! And like Masayoshi-kun said earlier, these guys have worked their little hearts out just to entertain you, so if I catch any of you being naughty then our friendly security guards will have to escort you out of the building!"**

All the guards made a menacing glare, making a handful of people flinch in fear.

"**Now! Without further ado, let me introduce to all of you… our very first competitor!"**

Flipping a piece of paper open, Chiu carefully examined the top name on the list. _"Yuna?! Isn't that Mosquito's friend?!"_

"**Er… ahem! Her name is Yuna, and her talent is called 'Bouncing Basketballs'! Let's hear it for Yuna-chan!"**

**-0-0-**

Backstage, only a few of the competitors remained calm and ready. Everyone else ranged from a little nervous to absolutely terrified. Even in this area you can still hear the clapping of the audience very clearly.

Carrying a basket ball in each hand, and wearing a sporty looking outfit, Yuna took one deep breath before walking confidently to meet the spectators.

"Do your best!" Ako said softly.

"Yeah! Kick some ass Yuna-chan!" Makie added, not so softly.

With her friends cheering her on, Yuna couldn't help but smile a confident smile.

**-0-0-**

Chiu's assumptions were dead accurate. Hiding her real opinions of Makie's friend, Chiu clapped along with the audience when the athletic girl appeared on stage. She wore her favourite basketball outfit; a yellow vest with matching shorts.

"_Wow! I can't believe Chiu is here!" _Yuna wondered. _"I… I mean wow! Just wow! She looks so awesome!"_

Suddenly… silence. The air of tension struck Yuna, but she was determined to get through the end. Looking at the audience would only further increase her nervousness, so Yuna quickly concentrated on her task at hand.

Yuna began by bouncing the basket ball on her right hand, whilst holding the left one high above the air. So far there was not a whisper from the crowd, but little did they know that Yuna's talent had only just begun. She then proceeded to dribble both balls at the same time, and only then did they realise her skill was starting to shine. Next she cross-weaved the balls for a total of ten seconds, and then, miraculously, she flipped one of the balls in mid air… and bounced the airborne object on her head, whilst still dribbling with the other ball. She finally rounded off the performance by spinning both balls on her index fingers, earning a very loud cheer from the audience.

She smiled broadly, absolutely delighted that everything went so smoothly.

As Yuna bowed and walked off stage, Chiu re-entered the spotlight whilst applauding the sports girl for a performance well done.

"_Okay, that was good." _Were the thoughts of Chisame. _"I never knew someone like her could have that kind of talent."_

"**Let's give it up for Yuna-chan!" **Chiu chirped, wonderfully ecstatic, unlike her inner ego. **"What an amazing first performance! Now for contender number two… oh… wait a moment… this next one is a double act! Ladies and gentleman I present to you… the duo of Tenma and Yakumo! Let's hear it for Tenma-chan and Yakumo-chan everybody!"**

Again, the sound of applause filled the hall, but this time the sound was halted somewhat when a short girl called Tenma appeared, who had dressed herself ridiculously in a jesters outfit. Without regret, Tenma burst into the area, waving hello in about ten random languages.

In a split second, the supposedly 'silent' guy next to Keitaro rose to his feet and cheered the petit lady for all he was worth. This rapid change of personality had completely imploded the manager's eardrums.

"GO TEMNA-CHAN!" The man with sunglasses bellowed out. "YOUR CUTENESS AND CHILD LIKE INNOCENCE WILL FOREVER GRACE THE CLOUDS OF GOD! I, HARIMA, WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOUR FULL SUPPORT AND ADMIRATION!"

Keitaro nervously stared at the floor. _"Oh man… this guy is scary…"_

Shortly afterwards another girl had entered the show… somewhat reluctantly. She too wore a jesters outfit, though she didn't seem half as enthusiastic, rather… she looked incredibly timid. Her name was Yakumo, and she was the taller, yet younger sister of Tenma.

Next to the guy known as Harima, a young man called Hanai also rose up from his seat. He had on a white shirt and blue slacks. Face-wise he looked a little like Keitaro, but more serious looking, plus his body was quite well built, like Harima. On his head was a pair of Keitaro-sized rectangular glasses.

"GO YAKUMO-CHAN!" He cheered along with Harima. "YOUR GRACE AND DIVINE BEAUTY WILL FOREVER SUPPORT THE STARS OF NEPTUNE! I, HANAI, WILL ALWAYS ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AS THE NYMPH OF NIGHT AND DAY!"

Next to Hanai, a busty looking girl with short blue hair smeared a hand over her face, feeling downright humiliated. Her name was Mikoto and she wore a sporty looking vest and matching shorts. All of these three people seated together had to be long time friends, or at the very least, mere acquaintances. There was no doubt some kind of relation between the two girls on stage as well.

"**Are you ready to laugh?!" **Tenma raised a fist in the air and shouted.

"HELL YEAH! I'M READY!" Harima shouted back, keeping in mind he was the only person to reply.

The second act consisted of a duo performance by Tenma and Yakumo. The original plot was for Tenma to tell a string of jokes, and every time Tenma would pull off the 'punch line', Yakumo would play on the drums to amplify the hilarity of the gag. Unfortunately there were two minor problems. First problem was that neither Tenma or Yakumo could afford to buy drums, so as a substitute Yakumo was carrying… a tambourine. As for the second problem…

"**Hey everyone! Why did the fox cross the road? Because he was trying to eat the chicken!"**

…Temna's jokes were nothing short of terrible.

"**Because he was trying to eat the chicken!" **Tenma shouted again, still without a response. **"Oh… I guess you heard that one… Yakumo! You're supposed to play the tambourine remember?!"**

"Huh? Oh… oh right." Yakumo stuttered. She hit the tambourine twice with the palm of her hand. A large part of her wanted to crawl into a small hole and die. Come to think of it, so did most of the audience.

"_This is bad…" _Harima thought. _"Tenma-chan is making a fool of herself! I Have to do something!"_

"**Okay what do you get if you cross a banana, a carrot, an apple, a pear and an onion?" **Tenma asked the crowd.

Silence was the reply.

"**You get the worlds worst fruit salad!" **She answered, thus allowing Yakumo to play the tambourine again.

Immediately, Harima stood up and laughed in the most mechanical way anyone could laugh.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Noticing that nobody else was laughing, the sunglasses guy emitted an angry, glowing red aura, which intimidated everyone, especially those close by. At once, everyone else followed suit, all nervously laughing, lest they be crushed by Harima's rage.

"_This guy is __very__ scary." _Keitaro corrected himself.

Hanai wiped away a tear. _"Yakumo plays the tambourine like an angel!"_

**-0-0-**

One by one, the young individuals performed their very best to be recognised. Some indeed had natural talent, whilst others, though they tried hard, didn't quite make it to the mark. Meanwhile, Chiu began to feel a little tired and her legs started to ache since she had to stand through all of the performances.

"_Only a few more to go." _She said to herself, looking at the lower end of the list. **"Okay everyone! We're now down to the last three, so without further ado let me…"**

All of a sudden, a young man amongst the audience stood straight up. He walked confidently towards the centre of the stage, earning many confused whispers and stares. The guards blocked his path, but somehow, he managed to persuade them all to step aside. Chiu gazed at the man with a very worried stare. Two metres away from her was the guy she despised, Kentaro Sakata. He wore an extremely expensive black suit, the sort of clothing that demanded nothing but serious business.

He coughed politely before speaking through a microphone of his own. **"Apologises for the sudden intrusion madam. My name is Kentaro Sakata, and I am the assistant manager of the game company, Star Rock Enterprises. We want you to work for us full time, which will include promoting our latest title due in a couple of weeks. Of course all expenses will be paid for, and the salary will be… generous."**

"_You prick." _Was her short summary of him. _"The audience want to watch me and the performers, not some jerk in a suit. What the hell are you doing?"_

More than half the audience were booing the suit on stage, making the overall mood quite unfriendly. This did not phase Kentaro for a second. For him, it was simply water on a duck's back.

"**Really? Well that does sound tempting. I'll just phone my manager."** Chiu wondered aloud.

"**Take all the time you need dear." **Kentaro replied.

The crowd gasped in shock when Chiu completely left the vicinity. There was no way their beloved internet idol could leave them hanging to dry. Ready to rub salt on their wounds, Kentaro had the nerve to address everyone beneath him.

"**I do hope you all have the heart to forgive me." **He apologised, ever so falsely. **"But I believe this girl has more talent then all of you lot put together… and I totally understand her. Why would she waste this talent just to entertain a bunch of pointless fan boys?"**

Admiring the sound of his own voice, Kentaro continued to harass the public, degrading them to no end. Fortunately, he didn't realise that Chiu had returned on stage, and was stealthily stalking her prey with a large bucket filled with cold tomato soup.

In the space of a second, the bucket was tipped upside down. Every single drop had drenched him to the bone. His suit was completely ruined and his hair looked even worse for wear. From the audience was a loud sound of laughter followed by a stream of cheering.

"**I'm sorry honey, but Chiu doesn't like working with stubborn businessmen who only care about money. Chiu is here for the fans, and the fans only!" **Chiu stated, stating her true emotions with a beautiful eye smile. **"Security guards, would you be so kind as to remove this gentleman from the area? Thank you so much!"**

Kentaro growled through gritted teeth. He had never felt so humiliated in all his life, his sense of dignity vanished. He muttered some curse words, but the two guards carrying him paid no attention to his threats. Ungracefully, they hurled the soaked Sakata back outside, where he promptly lifted himself back up and angrily left the area.

**-0-0-**

After the unexpected commotion, the stage was promptly mopped up by a few staff members, thus allowing the contest to continue. A few people actually believed the whole businessman arriving encounter was nothing more than a mere act. Regardless, they still enjoyed the show, much like everyone else.

"**Sorry for the setback everyone!" **Chiu called out, back in her usual spotlight. **"Now for our next participant… let's hear it for…"**

Chiu concentrated hard on the list, her eyes fixated on a certain, familiar name. _"YUE?!"_

"…**uh let's hear it for… 'The Super, Omega, Cool Wizard Yue'…" **Chiu finished with a puzzled voice.

After another round of applause, Yue slowly walked onto the stage, dressed in her dark witch costume and pointy hat. Her presence alone emitted many 'kawaii' comments, probably thinking she was about ten years old. Also three members of staff appeared on stage, two holding a small round table, whilst the other carried a wooden stall to sit on. When the preparations were complete, the audience noticed a large wide screen television that had appeared, hovering just above the stage itself. The screen showed Yue, magnified so everyone could properly see what she was doing.

"**Greetings one and all." **Yue introduced everyone. **"I am the Super, Omega, Cool Wizard Yue, here to entertain you all with my vast magic and superiority."**

So speaking, Yue slowly pulled out four miniature toy rabbits from her sleeve. She placed them on the table, in which the toys then bounced around freely off stage and into the audience, earning even more cute comments. At this moment, every middle aged woman wanted to adopt her.

"_That's hardly magic!" _Chisame protested in thought. _"They were probably up her sleeve all along!"_

From her other sleeve, Yue produced a deck of playing cards. **"Chiu, would you be so kind as to lend me your assistance?"** She asked the idol.

Chiu's mouth hung dry. So far, no participants had asked her for help.

"**Um, s-sure!"** Chiu replied, feeling a little nervous.

"**Can you shuffle these cards for me please?"**

"**No problem!"**

Though she remained standing in front of the audience, Yue's eyes watched Chiu as the idol shuffled the deck… somewhat amateurishly.

"**You're not very good at shuffling are you Chiu?"** Quipped the blunette.

Chiu made an eye smile when she heard the audience laughing at her expense, friendly laughter of course. **"I guess not."** She replied with a quivering laugh. _"You are pushing your luck, lady."_

"**Now… the card on the top of the deck is… the jack of hearts." **Yue declared.

Chiu plucked the top card, and to her surprise, it was in fact the jack of hearts, the proof literally on the palm of her hand.

"**She… she's right!" **Chiu said, holding the mentioned card in the air.

The people cheered with amazement, wondering how on earth she did that.

"**Next… is the four of clubs…"**

And again, the four of clubs was raised, just as Yue predicted.

"**Next… is the ace of spades."**

Time and time again, Yue was spot on, thus making the audience even more amazed.

"**Now assistant Chiu, can you please reshuffle the deck?" **Yue asked. **"…oh and **_**try **_**to shuffle them properly this time…"**

Chiu inwardly growled as she shuffled the deck again, seriously wanting to impale Yue's neck with a blunt spear.

"**Okay, now draw three cards from the top, and two cards from the bottom… and place the selected cards face down on the table." **Yue added, watching Chiu, who was doing what she was told. **"Now… when I flip them over… the face up cards will reveal… a royal flush."**

The audience gasped. The odds of even having all the same suit was exceptionally low, but this seemed nigh on impossible! However… Yue was true to her word. On the widescreen television showed the perfect royal flush, from the ten running to the ace.

Accepting the cheers in her stride, Yue was ready for her final trick. Two new items on the table were prepared; a small rubber ball and a simple plastic cup.

"**For my next trick I need a volunteer from the audience." **She stated flatly.

There was a few surprised whispers, before a selection of them raised their hands, some more eagerly than others. In the end, Yue decided to pick Taishi from the front row… and yes it was the same deranged Taishi who earlier posed as the psycho riddle guard. Of course, Taishi practically reeked of entertainment and melodrama, so he would make the perfect volunteer.

With both of them now seated at opposite ends, Yue placed the cup directly on top of the ball.

"**By using a special trick, I will acquire the ball without moving the cup, nor the table." **Yue said, staring at Taishi.

"**An interesting trick." **Taishi mused, a sceptic look in his eye. **"But why do you require my assistance?"**

"**Merely to witness this act up close." **Answered Yue. **"However…"**

Taishi glanced upwards and looked at Yue. **"However…?"**

"**There is… another trick to the task. To let you in on a secret… the ball… has already gone."**

"**Wh-what?! But that's impossible!"** Taishi said, gasping beforehand.

"**If you don't believe me… see for yourself…"**

Taishi was drenched in sweat, his face a beet red and his gnawing teeth visibly showing. _"I can't see any switches or hidden devices… ah but hidden devices would be hidden so there is no way I would spot them… unless they are visibly hidden… ah but that doesn't make any sense! Nothing is visibly hidden, or hidden visibly… unless… wait! What the hell am I thinking?! It… it has to be a bluff! It MUST be a bluff!"_

After his tank wreck of thought, Taishi quickly plucked the cup away from the table. Sure enough, the ball was still there.

"**AH HA!"** Taishi shouted, standing up and pointing at the ball like it was gold. **"IT WAS A BLUFF ALL ALONG!"**

And, just as quickly, Yue plucked away the ball, not missing a single beat. **"…and that is how you take the ball without touching the cup, or the table. As you can see… magic is fun, but simple trickery is more entertaining. Thank you for watching my performance."**

Taishi merely grinned as the audience gave Yue a hefty round of applause. _"Beneath such a small girl lies a soul with immense cunning! Truly you are amazing, my petit lady!"_

Chiu joined in with the clapping. _"That girl… she's just something else."_

**-0-0-**

Only two participants remained backstage. Watching everybody perform before them had slowly deteriorated their self esteem.

Makie swallowed a lump in her throat. A tiny drop of sweat graced over her cheek, finally falling from her chin. She wore a pink ballerina outfit, complimented with white tights and pink plimsolls. Two long ribbons were carefully wrapped around her wrists. One was bright red, the other one bright yellow. She also had a light shade of makeup, and her lips were enhanced with sparkling glitter, just like the gloss her mother uses.

Ako firmly held her electric guitar. She opted for a more casual wardrobe, choosing a pale yellow t-shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. Though she looked pretty, Ako couldn't help but worry constantly to herself.

"M-Makie-chan…" Ako quivered, using her guitar for support. "…is t-there anything on my face?"

"Yeah…" Makie replied with a grin. "Eyes… nose… a mouth…"

"I'm being serious!"

"Relax! From what I've heard, you'll be fine! _Seriously, I never knew you could play so well."_

Upon hearing her called out name, Makie gave her friend a light hug before making her way to the stage.

"You'll be fine." Makie reassured.

Ako stared at the ground, hearing the footsteps of her friend fade away. Her feet remained rooted to the floor as she took many short breaths of much needed air.

"I… can't do this." She whispered to herself. "I can't do this."

**-0-0-**

Despite the many eyes staring at her, Makie bravely walked on stage. Chisame nearly fell over in surprise when she noticed it was the very same girl whose hobby involved harassing the net idol to no end. Chisame eventually realised that even mosquitoes had another side to them. Her altered appearance already caused a few cheers from the younger male audience, especially Haitani and Shirai who instantly recognised her as the cute, playful one of Hinata-Sou. With a solemn face, Makie briefly looked at all the people watching her, returning the favour so to speak.

"…"

She gasped so loudly, it almost felt as though her soul escaped from her body. Despite every occupied seat, Makie could see _him_, clearly as day. A part of her wanted to scream out 'SENPAI!', but of course realised that wouldn't exactly sit well with the crowd.

Makie heard the faint music of violins and other string based instruments, thus signalling her big moment. At once she sprang to life, dancing with perfect elegancy as the ribbons twirled in an way most people would think unendurable. There was one moment when she made a slight error of movement, but Makie concealed this so well that nobody spotted the mistake at all. If she wasn't so busy, Makie would have noticed Keitaro's facial expression. Needless to say… it was priceless.

"Urashima-san."

Keitaro glazed over to the side, noticing Mana was whispering to him.

"What is it?"

"Your mouth."

"Huh? … oh."

Feeling embarrassed that a segment of mouth drool dripped off his chin, Keitaro reached for a tissue before wiping away the fluid. Even as he did this, his eyes still remained focused on this dancing butterfly.

…

Just as the music was about to finish, Makie pranced her away to the centre. One foot was firmly on the ground, whilst her upper body bowed lowly to her mid-section. She steadily spun faster and faster, not missing a beat, not missing a step. In fact, her movement was so fast, the twin ribbons began to formulate a circle, the two colours combining into a brilliant orange.

As the music stopped, so did Makie. She took a quick bow and exited post haste off the stage. The applause… was simply deafening, and well deserved.

"**That… that was incredible!" **Chiu said in disbelief, allowing even the Chisame inside her to speak aloud. **"Everyone… let's hear it for Makie-chan!"**

**-0-0-**

…

…

Ako stood alone, her fear being her only companion.

She had been friends with Makie and Yuna for so long, but secretly, she envied them. Envied their ability to talk to guys without stuttering, envied the way they could loudly voice their opinions. How she wished for a tenth of their confidence.

Part of her wanted to die when Chiu announced her name.

Reluctantly, Ako carried herself onto the main stage.

Already her knees buckled over from the vast waves of tension she accumulated with each and every step she took. She stood there, a mere inch away from the microphone. Panic overwhelmed her when a screech of distorted noise ran through the air. Realising she was a little too close, Ako took one small step back and addressed herself as best as she could.

She prayed for an interference. Any kind of interference. She would even welcome an alien invasion, so long as the attention diverted away from her.

"**H-h-hi… I'm… g-going to play a song… which… which is called 'One of us.'"**

Even saying those few words was a marathon in itself. She cleared her throat and, even though she was utterly terrified, proceeded to play the guitar.

For the first eight seconds she started off okay, but a rogue thought made her strike a wrong chord. There was no way she could conceal her obvious mistake. She had to start again.

Her second attempted fared just as worse. This time she made an error almost before she begun.

Quiet murmurs were heard in front of her. Some of the crowd were disappointed, whilst others were getting a little grouchy, especially since they sat through many other participants. Chiu felt the need to warn anybody who got angry, but luckily, nothing had escalated into anything serious.

Tears threatened to escape from her eyes. She just wanted to run away, never be seen again…

… …

"Come on Ako-chan! You can do it!"

Releasing her tears, Ako looked straight ahead with a gasp. Not caring what anyone else would think, Keitaro Urashima stood up and shouted at the girl for all he was worth.

"_Kei…Keitaro-san?" _Ako whispered, instantly remembering the guy back at Hinata-Sou. _"But… why?!"_

Mana too followed Keitaro's sudden action, loudly cheering her on…

…even the guy next to Keitaro, Harima, roared out words of encouragement… as did Hanai, Mikoto and a few others who felt moved by the man starting the whole thing off. Words of praise from so few people… yet to Ako… it felt like a world of support…

…

As the cheers eventually died down… Ako found herself playing the guitar like she acquired a new set of hands. This newfound confidence had struck Ako in a way she never thought possible… but here she was… playing solo in front of a live audience. Everything was silent, except for her beautiful harmony which echoed throughout the assembly hall.

She parted her lips… and began to sing her most cherished song…

…

_**If God had a name**_… _**what**_ _**would will it be,**_

_**And would you call it to his face,**_

_**If you were faced with him in all his glory,**_

_**What would you ask if you had just one question…?**_

…

A smile crept upon Ako's lips. She closed her eyes and began to let the music take control of her imagination…

…

_**And yeah… yeah… God is great,**_

… _**yeah… yeah… God is good,**_

…_**yeah… yeah… yeah, yeah, yeah**_

…

…and then her voice sung as loudly as she could muster… still retaining its beauty… still retaining its charm…

…

_**What if God was one of us … … ?**_

_**Just a slob like one of us … … ?**_

_**Just a stranger on a bus,**_

_**Trying to make his way home… …**_

…

Mana had a broad smile etched across her face, whilst Keitaro, also smiling, was happily drumming his fingers on the side of his arm.

Beneath the sunglasses, Harima was trying to hold back all of his emotions, but in the end his eyes resembled two tiny waterfalls trickling down his face.

Hanai was even more emotional than Harima. He practically covered his face and sobbed uncontrollably. Mikoto rolled her eyes, and gently consoled her friend by tapping him on the shoulder.

"It's… it's beautiful!" Hanai admitted between sobs. "…but it still doesn't compare to the might of Yakumo's tambourine!"

With growing confidence, Ako proceeded to sing the second verse…

…

_**If God had a face… what would he look like,**_

_**And would you want to see,**_

_**If seeing meant that you would have to believe,**_

_**In things like in heaven and in Jesus and the saints, and all the prophets,**_

_**And yeah… yeah… God is great,**_

_**yeah… yeah… God is good,**_

_**Yeah… yeah… yeah! Yeah! Yeah!**_

_**What if God was one of us … … ?**_

_**Just a slob like one of us … … ?**_

_**Just a stranger on a bus,**_

_**Trying to make his way home…**_

_**He's trying to make his way home…**_

_**Back up to heaven all alone…**_

_**Nobody calling on the phone…**_

_**Except for the pope maybe in Rome.**_

…

From outside the main campus, people had stopped whatever they were doing. Ako and her dazzling guitar solo was loud enough to reach them all.

Beneath the brilliant sunshine in the sky, the people paid no attention other than the sound of this glorious music.

…

_**And yeah… yeah… God is great,**_

_**Yeah… yeah… God is good,**_

_**Yeah… yeah… yeah! Yeah! Yeah!**_

_**What if God was one of us … … ?**_

_**Just a slob like one of us … … ?**_

_**Just a stranger on a bus,**_

_**Trying to make his way home…**_

_**Just trying to make his way home…**_

_**Like a holy rolling stone…**_

_**Back up to heaven all alone…**_

_**Just trying to make his way home… … …**_

…

_**Nobody calling on the phone…**_

_**Except for the pope maybe in Rome.**_

…

…

…

…

It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

Ako steadily looked at the audience…

…and then…

…a roaring applause instantly replaced the silence. Everyone rose to their feet, clapping until their hands were sore. Cheers and screams were soon followed afterwards. Some whistled until their lungs would burst. The noise was thunderous. Tremendous. Utterly surreal… and even after prolonged periods of time… it still would not end! All of this… for her. A little shy girl named Ako.

She couldn't hold in her emotions any longer. She cried continuously… tears of joy which pattered onto the stage.

Chiu stood there, smiling, truly captivated by Ako's delightful song. _"I think we found a winner here…"_

With a quick thank you, Ako, carrying her guitar, stormed off from the stage. Never had one girl felt so much joy.

…

…

_Author: Hanai, Harima, Mikoto, Tenma and Yakumo are all characters from the anime School Rumble. Masayoshi is an original character. The song at the end is called 'One of Us' by Joan Osborne. _

_Okay, I haven't much else to say except I hope you enjoyed the chapter._


	21. Chiu! Damsel in Distress

**Chapter Twenty One - Chiu! Damsel in Distress**

…

_Three weeks earlier…_

A small, chirpy song indicated Chisame had received new messages on her email account… 59,673 to be exact. An ungodly number, but one you would expect to see if you happen to be the most popular internet idol in all of Japan. Gliding her finger on the touch pad, Chisame looked at her email list with the most uninterested look on her face.

It was the unfortunate truth Chisame had to bare with. Over eighty five percent of Chiu fans… were complete and utter morons. These fans would send her questions which usually ranged from silly to meaningless… to just plain insulting. An example of the latter would read somewhere along the lines of 'can i see u nude' or 'me want see you nekked'… and chances are both these messages would be sent by the same middle aged idiot. Chisame loved being her internet persona, but reading constant streams of gibberish was definitely the lowest point of her otherwise favourite pastime.

However, amongst the junk mail, one message drew her immediate attention. For starters, the topic wasn't written in 'leet speak', and the sender of this message seemed bold enough to show his real name… at least, it _looked _like a real name.

With caution, Chisame was just about to look inside when he heard the manager's voice, indicating dinner was on the table.

"Coming!" She called out, deciding to leave this mystery behind until she returned.

**-0-0-**

Dinner was your usual evening affair. The food, served by the manager was, of course, delicious. The exchange of words from Makie and Chisame were, of course, ludicrous. Unusual however, were the conversations held between Mana and Yue. One of their favourite pastimes was reading, so for the last few weeks they had quite a lot of interesting discussions, usually involving what they read the previous night.

For the duration of the meal, Keitaro remained quietly happy. To him, it felt like they were part of his family… true, a very warped kind of family, but then again, he wasn't exactly mister ordinary himself.

Suddenly, everyone stared at the manager, breaking all lines of conversation. Unknown to him, a dab of mint sauce was found on his nose, clearly visible to all the girls. Witnessing this sudden moment, Mana and Makie tried to contain their giggling whilst Yue just sort of stared blankly at it. Chisame was the only one mature enough to let him know, but spent nearly five minutes guiding him to the desired spot.

"Over here?" Keitaro asked, moving his finger as if it were a sniper rifle.

"No." Chisame responded, for the tenth time already, and Makie snickering like a child only made matters worse.

"Here?"

"NO. YOUR LEFT."

"…here?"

"NO!"

Yes, sadly for Chisame, this was now all standard procedure for her.

**-0-0-**

"I _knew _I should have kept quiet!" Chisame grumbled to herself, now back to her room and normal routine. After dinner, she collected an assortment of snacks and other foods, just for the pure fact that she didn't want to venture anywhere that contained _them _in the vicinity.

Munching on a chocolaty pocky stick, Chisame proceeded to open the message.

"_It's probably nothing." _she thought pessimistically. _"I don't know why I'm getting worked up over it."_

Her widely open eyes, however, told a completely different story…

…

_From: __M.Natome.University._

_Sent: 16 June 19.30_

_To: __chiuchan._

_Subject: Tokyo University_

…

_Hello, my name is Masayoshi Natome, principal of Tokyo University. There will be a festival held on July 7__th,__, and to enhance such an event, we are looking for young, fresh talent in order to help make such a spectacle truly memorable._

_We will not feel offended in any way should you choose to decline, or even ignore this request. Interviews will be held on June 20__th__ if you are indeed interested. Enclosed at the bottom of this page is a map and telephone number._

_Thank you greatly for taking your time to read this message. Everyone in the university would be delighted to see you._

**-0-0-**

_Present day…_

As time passed by, the sky became darker and felt cooler to what it once was. The vast acres of grass were still populated with overjoyed people, though the strong gales forced some of them to wrap up in heavier clothing.

Meanwhile, a man dressed in orange uniform wiped away some sweat from his forehead. He, along with many other workmen, breathed a happy sigh of relief. The finished project was certainly very impressive to behold, and they were all proud to be a small part of this exciting event.

The Tuftee Arena consisted of numerous, massive slabs of smooth concrete, and shown in the middle was a large white circle drawn neatly with paint, which contained easily enough space for two competitiors. In fact, it was big enough for _ten _fighters to compete in, which gave one the impression; will the matches be standard, one on one combat, or is there a hidden twist in this arena? One could only wonder…

The audience layout was, as described earlier, displayed like a typical Roman Coliseum. This is all created in a way so the audience would get the perfect birds eye view, so they could see what opponents will be fighting to the finish.

Around twelve or so metres north was a small stand, where some of the more important and famous people were seated. No doubt one of these people would be the principle of Toudai himself, but the others remained a mystery.

All in all, this was certainly going to be a nail biting event, one where only the faint of heart would dare not speculate.

**-0-0-**

"Okay are you three ready?"

"YEAH!"

"Then we will all say cheese on the count of three… one… two… three…"

"CHEEEESE!"

The camera flashed with its standard split second brightness. On top of the stage stood three familiar girls, all of them extremely happy with themselves. Standing in the middle was the very delighted, timid girl Ako. She held a small, shining gold cup with as much pride as possible. On the right was Makie, wearing a silver medal, and a most pleasing eye smile. With a wink and a victory pose was Yuna, who stood to the left. She proudly showed off her bronze medal.

The assembly hall was now a completely different contrast to what it once was. All who remained were a few staff members who had the not so exciting role of putting all the chairs away. Of course, there was the trio of Keitaro, Mana and Yue, who were all patiently waiting for their friends to finish posing for the camera crew.

Witch Yue was another who didn't return empty handed. Whether it was for her talent, cuteness or dry humour, the reserved blunette managed to scoop a runner ups certificate, though the prize somewhat paled compared to her being the ultimate amazon queen during her stay at the Manga Convention.

Once the photographers left the vicinity, not even the demons of hellfire themselves could prevent Makie leaping off stage, and dashing into her Senpai's arms. Although Keitaro lost every ounce of breath from the impact, he nonetheless returned the hug, gently taking in the scent of her hair as he did so. It took a good while until Makie eventually pulled herself away from the manager's chest. The moment she did, Makie annihilated him through a mass conversational outburst.

"So what did you think of my performance? Did you like it huh? What about the outfit? Did it make me look fat? Because if it did… it wasn't meant to! What about the music…?"

Keitaro opened his mouth, but found it difficult to get a single word in. "Uh… ! Yeah you were really great Makie-chan! The way you danced felt like it was in slow motion! It was awesome!"

Mana simply smiled as the little family had nearly been reunited. _"She sure has taken a shine to him." _She thought to herself.

"Geez you two, get a room!" Yuna called out from behind, rushing alongside Ako to greet the group.

Makie's hair matched her face, and felt a sudden jolt of electricity called embarrassment. "Gaaah! I already told you! We're not like that!" She half protested, half screamed.

Yuna grinned like a cat. "Suuuure."

Before the situation could get any more awkward, Keitaro tried to change the subject, and for once, actually succeeded. "Hey Yuna-chan, Ako-chan, you two were pretty amazing as well!"

"Thanks!" Yuna replied happily.

Ako however, took one step forward and approached Keitaro in a rather cautious way. She fidgeted with her fingers as she struggled for the right words. "Um… well… well I think I have you to thank Kei…Keitaro-san…"

As everyone looked in Ako's direction, Keitaro just looked confused. "Eh… what do you mean?" He asked why.

"…well… if you didn't cheer for me at the start… I… I-I-I probably would have just given up then and there! So… thank you Keitaro-san! Thanks for giving me the confidence I truly needed!"

Keitaro watched the green haired girl bowing many times in gratitude.

"Hey! No problem!" He said with an eye smile. "Actually I was kind of surprised I did that myself! Shout loudly I mean, but it was well worth cheering to hear that voice of yours!"

Makie partially looked at the manager with wishful eyes. _"Senpai…"_

Ako's eyes glazed sideways, feeling the heat creep up on her face. _"Keitaro-san…"_

"Ahem." Yuna coughed politely. "Perhaps you _three _need to get a room…"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL!" Both Makie and Ako screamed aloud.

Clueless Keitaro scratched his head, not quite understanding Yuna's subtle hint. Mana just sort of smiled nervously, whilst Yue slurped on a carton of 'Fizzy Troll Blood'.

**-0-0-**

Mild, fresh air greeted the six the moment they opened the door. Makie was perhaps the more tired of the group, since all her dancing had practically depleted the girl of energy. Still, a short amount of fatigue wasn't going to stop her. Besides, having Senpai and her friends around gave herself a much needed stamina boost.

Yuna grinned broadly and pointed at a game stall which caught her eye. Makie and Ako were eager to follow, but Keitaro, Mana and Yue politely declined. Besides, game stalls didn't really appeal to Mana, and Keitaro's luck didn't really appeal to game stalls. As for Yue, she was still finishing off her drink.

Following the departure of Makie and her friends, Yue popped a rather interesting statement.

"Chisame-san should be back by now." She said to herself. She followed her speech with the sound of her straw.

…

Eight steps later and Keitaro stopped dead in his tracks. "Eh… Yue-chan? What do you mean…?"

Soon both the girls ceased movement, and turned to face him.

"Yes." Yue replied. "Chisame-san was visiting her parents for a week… which means she'll be back at the dormitory now."

"Well that's impossible." Keitaro replied, seemingly with confidence. "Because I've locked the…"

His confidence disintegrated.

"…OH CRAP! I'VE LOCKED HER OUT! HASEGAWA-SAN IS GONNA BE SO PISSED!" Keitaro shouted, his face sketched with agony.

Yue was deep in thought. "Hmm… by the time we get back, she probably would have starved to death. Yeah… she's probably dead as we speak."

Her predicament only served to fuel Keitaro's distress.

"I highly doubt that." Mana tried to see reason. "I'm sure Hasegawa-san is perfectly capably of looking after herself. She has probably found a hotel… or maybe she is already at the festival with her family?"

Keitaro tried his best to recompose himself. "Hmm… I don't if this sort of place would appeal to her…" He thought aloud, placing a finger on his lips.

Mana flicked open her mobile phone. "In any case, we should find out. _I admit that due to everything taking place, I have forgotten about her as well."_

She frowned when the receiving end was nothing but a dead line.

"Switched off. I will try again later." Mana decided.

Yue nodded at herself. "Just as I thought. Dead."

Beneath the sunglasses, Mana rolled her eyes.

"She is not dead Ayase-san."

**-0-0-**

In the end, Makie, Ako and Yuna decided to break themselves away from the rest of the residents, thus splitting them into two groups of three. For the three young girls, there were still lots of places to explore, and the day was still young. The meeting point would be nearby where the Tuftee would take place.

Keitaro, being the absent minded klutz he is, still completely forgot to tell anyone he was going to participate in the tournament. To tell the truth, he probably just remembered himself. Yue was busy browsing through a couple of comic books from a small Manga store, so this left Mana and Keitaro to their own devices… so they were just walking around, taking in all the sights and sounds the festival had to offer. During that time, Keitaro remained without a word to say. His hands were fidgeting inside his jean pockets, and his eyes were concentrating on the clear sky. The sun's presence had faded during the time Keitaro first set foot on the festival. It was still a pleasing brightness however, and it did ease Keitaro's mind a little.

He promptly cleared his throat which immediately alerted the attractive young woman. "Tatsumiya-san?"

"Hmm… what is it?" Mana asked.

With his hair hung over his eyes, Keitaro took a deep breath before replying. He had absolutely no idea how she would react. "I… I have a confession to make…"

Mana recognised his expression instantly… at least… she thought she did. Granted, she was no expert when it came to love, but she had experienced a fair share of romance novels and television shows. Usually the scene would unfold, revealing a beautiful, unspoilt meadow and assorted flowers with every colour imaginable. During this scene, a young boy would confess his love to a certain girl he was after ever since the first time they met.

Keitaro's expression had perfectly matched this imaginary boy.

"I well… I…"

Mana's mouth opened slightly. _"Urashima-san! What are you thinking?!"_

"…I'm… kinda thinking of joining the… the tournament."

"…"

If reality was a baseball bat then Mana just got clouted over the head with it.

"Urashima-san… if this is a joke, then it is not a funny one." She replied, masking her surprise with a strict layer… but then she took a closer look at his eyes. _"No… he is not joking at all…"_

"It's no joke." Keitaro added. "It's just that… well… it's… it's hard to say really."

"You do not need to tell me…" Mana assured. "… but after all the trauma I put you through… I never expected you to fight again, let alone participate in such an event."

Mana felt a deep pan of guilt. She still remembered the nightmare like it occurred yesterday.

Keitaro sighed as he faced the grass, which was slowly flowing with the wind. "To be honest… after that… that guy publicly humiliated me… and that fight with… you… I felt… … pretty depressed…"

He could not see it, but he sensed the negative energy Mana was currently generating. Quickly, he fumbled together another string of words before things became even more awkward.

"…but I know it's not your fault Tatsumiya-san! I knew you were trying to help me! You were trying to give me confidence in myself! And… and I really appreciate that! Really! I…"

The warmth of Mana's hand was a feeling quite sensational, causing Keitaro's attempted reasoning to vanish into thin air. It was just a simple touch on his shoulder, but _her _touch felt like a surge of lightning. For a moment, Keitaro remained silent, as did Mana. Despite the traffic of people, it seemed like they were the only couple left in Toudai Festival. Silence, it would seem, spoke louder than any words could ever make.

At last the silence was broken. A quiet wind travelled into Keitaro's right ear.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, ever so delicately.

"It's okay…" Keitaro replied softly. "…I knew you were helping me."

A flash of light instantly tore the two away. Mana and Keitaro both looked in the direction of a familiar contraption.

As the photo slowly emerged out of the camera, Yue plucked out her masterpiece and stared at it with an interesting expression.

"Hmm…" She thought, pursing her lips. "I'm not sure whether to put this on eBay, or have it hung as a picture in our living room..."

Noticing their glowing red eyes and sinister smiles, the short girl wisely took a step back.

"…or maybe I'll just tear it up and pretend this never happened."

"I would advise the latter." Mana suggested.

As the three contemplated what to do next, a group of four young male teenagers suddenly sailed right through them. One of them nearly knocked poor Yue over, though this seemed unintentional on the boy's behalf.

"Hey watch where you're going!" Keitaro called out. "You could have hurt her!"

"Sorry! My bad!" The boy waved off, who couldn't properly apologise since he was still running.

"_Well… at least he apologised… _wonder why they're in such a rush?" Keitaro asked, scratching his head.

Yue, after rubbing her arm from the recent collision, pointed straight ahead. A dozen metres away was an incredible long line of people, mostly guys, ranging from fifteen to forty years old, and a few of them looked even older… you could tell from the receding hair lines.

Keitaro adjusted his glasses and gasped. This was it! His one and only chance of participating in one of the greatest speculations of all time! Suddenly he felt an immense numbness spread throughout his body. The whole idea, fighting for entertainment made him both excited and nervous at the same time. What if he faced someone like Mana? Would he become the laughing stock in all of Tokyo? At this stage, the cons far outweighed the pros, but he knew if he didn't act now, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

As he hastily joined the end of the queue, Keitaro could faintly hear Mana calling out to him.

"Wait! Urashima-san!"

"Sorry, but I've made up my mind!" Keitaro replied back. "I'm going to do it! _I've been backing out all my life… well… not anymore."_

**-0-0-**

The table was simple in design, but, at this moment, it had to be one of the most important tables in the world. On the left stood a pile of rapidly descending photographs, whilst on the right was a glass of milkshake and half a dozen fountain pens, four of them already out of ink. Behind and in front of the table were two comfortable looking chairs, and one was being seated by a beautiful looking girl.

The girl wore a pretty, ocean blue dress, created with a very thin and elegant material. This dress was complemented with a pair of tight white socks, and pink high heels. Around her neck was a slender, golden necklace.

It had to be the hundredth time she signed her name. Not that she was keeping a record, but she never knew being popular could be this much hard work. Even so, the girl managed to retain herself, making a delightful eye smile whenever she greeted her fan boys and girls.

Speaking of which, her fans were certainly… a colourful bunch. Some of them were nervous beyond belief. When they were within a few inches of her, these people could barely form three words together without making some kind of gibbering sound. One even fainted, and had to be promptly escorted to the medical facility.

Then came the more mature, confident people of the queue. They managed to shake her hand, and even told them about their love problems, like how people online would when they sent her emails. Despite their confidence, words alone could not explain just how truly excited they were.

Of course no crazy line of people would be complete without a few fanatics. These idiots tried to grope her most… delicate possessions, but luckily they were immediately thrown out of the festival, courtesy of the four muscular, suit wearing bodyguards that stood beside her. Most of the time the guards stood like statues, not moving an inch unless someone stepped out of line.

One of the bodyguards listened intently to his ear piece, responding to the command with a quick nod.

"Chiu-sama." The suit spoke, gently placing a large hand on her shoulder. "You have been working for forty five minutes. Do you need a breather, or can I get you anything?"

Chiu whispered a reply. "I wouldn't mind a refill for my milkshake."

"Of course."

Without a second to lose, the bodyguard rushed to acquire her sacred milkshake, whilst the remaining three formed themselves into a triangular formation, waiting for the other guy to return.

As the line shuffled slowly forwards, Keitaro's face resembled that of pure confusion. As far as he could remember, people that participated for a fighting arts tournament should expect to look like cold hearted, muscle bound warriors. He understood that the younger generation are full of spiritual energy, but some of these kids had to be around twelve years old! What's more, they did not exactly resemble fighting material. A few of them looked more overweight than Shirai, possibly the result of one too many late night snacks. Others looked completely the opposite; that being they were so scrawny, even a gentle breeze could knock them out for six.

"_Maybe I've got this all wrong…" _He thought. _"Maybe it's a computer tournament, that's based on a fighting game… yeah… yeah that must be it…"_

Once again his eyes faced the ground, whilst his mind remained above the clouds. Only his feet continued to move steadily forward, and the rest of him failed to acknowledge anything else.

"Okay! Next please!"

"_That voice…" _Keitaro daydreamed. _"…it sounds… familiar…"_

"Um, hello?"

Keitaro looked up, blinking twice as he focused back to reality. A beautiful girl with long red hair tilted her head in confusion.

Only then did he find out what was going on. These people… all these people… were queuing up… to see _her_. He almost collapsed in shock, but luckily managed to regain his footing. His newfound, crazy emotions made him look like a paranoid freak.

It was then Chiu's turn to become shocked beyond belief, only just realising her new fan was the nerdy manager she loved to hate. Her mouth suddenly hung open, similar to a hippo yawning. If anything, she looked even more surprised than Keitaro.

"We've got another weirdo!" Alerted one of the guards.

The other suit, who was running back with the milkshake, quickly dropped the drink and ran towards the motionless target, acquiring a vicious cattle prod from his jacket pocket. The other three began to follow his lead.

"WAIT!"

At her command, the guards stopped like their lives depended on it.

"He isn't threatening anyone!" Chiu added, closing her eyes when she shouted.

"You heard the lady! Remain in formation!" The guard replied, without a single query.

Chiu, now raised from her seating position, continued to look Keitaro in the eye, making the moment both incredible… yet extremely uncomfortable…

**-0-0-**

Yue and Mana continued to stare into the ever increasing line.

"Perhaps we should have told him sooner?" Mana commented.

Yue nodded. "Perhaps."

The duo sounds of stomachs rumbling was proof the two of them hadn't eaten anything since their departure from Toudai campus. Mana elected to purchase some tokoyaki from a nearby food stall, but before she even began to move, Yue's hand quickly latched onto her arm. For a girl with such small hands, Yue's grip was surprisingly strong.

"What's wrong?" Mana asked her.

Yue was speechless, but the seriousness in her eyes made it apparent something was amiss. Even more alarming was that Mana could not detect this unknown presence, yet Yue, a girl who wouldn't react to a meteor shower, somehow managed to sense this… whatever it was.

"Over there." Yue called out, pointing in the desired direction.

"_A rabbit? A fox? A cat?" _Were the simple thoughts running through Mana's mind.

Yue's finger remained stationary. Behind a small cluster of bushes, two hair crafted antennas bobbed up and down, acting like some kind of transmitter. Upon being detected, Haruna instantly rose from her hiding position, as did her fellow art trainees, Nodoka and Konoka. This time they were dressed casually unlike their artist outfits from before. Haruna wore a green short sleeved shirt with two undone buttons, along with blue jeans and black shoes. Konoka wore a stunning yellow t-shirt, pink shorts and white trainers. Last but not least, Nodoka looked very attractive with her pink dress and blue sandals.

"Hiya Yue-chan!" Haruna greeted with a massive wave.

Yue just stared at her. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

At that remark Haruna circled around the blunette and gave her a super strong headlock. "Man, you're so cold!" She added, stating the somewhat obvious.

"It is kinda chilly now." Konoka pitched in, wrapping her arms around herself. Still she had that near permanent eye smile on her face.

"I-I don't think she meant cold in that way." Nodoka stuttered, her nervousness remaining the same as before.

Suddenly Haruna released Yue from her hold, causing the small girl to fall over forwards. Her attention was now focused on the more mature, taller female of the two. There was a five second pause as they stared eye to eye.

"Aha! You must be her girlfriend!" She said proudly.

Yue, who had just readied herself up, now fell over sideways in disbelief.

"Um… not really…" Mana replied, a little confused at what's going on.

Mana blinked, and to her surprise, found Haruna had disappeared. Feeling quite puzzled with the situation, Mana did not notice the crazy artist carefully rising up behind her. With shadowy silence, Haruna's hands wriggled with anticipation… and then the unthinkable happened… her hands fondled Mana's breasts like two giant blobs of putty.

"Holy cow! This chick has some serious melons! Hey you guys, wanna feel 'em up?!"

Nodoka and Konoka smiled nervously. "Eh… pass." They both replied.

Mana's face resembled much humiliation, but calmly she closed her eyes. However… there was only so much she could take.

"Unhand me." She said coldly.

Haruna did as she commanded, but only because she wanted to feel up Yue instead.

"Heh heh!" Haruna laughed. "As for Yue-chan, well let's just say you have a long way to go baby! Heh! This is fun, it's like prodding a marshmallow! I could do this all day!"

"Come on, let's go." Yue declared, snatching Mana's hand and trying to get away from this crazy Haruna hellspawn.

Konoka had her hands clasped in a prayer. "Aww look, they're holding hands!" She said sweetly.

With a low growl, Yue detached herself.

As the two continued walking, Haruna called out behind them. "Aw come on Yue-chan! Is this how you treat _all _of the library staff members?"

"…"

The whole sky turned black, whilst the blunette, clothes included, resembled a colour paler than bleached bone. Her eyes became two perfect circles of blood red. Her neck did a full one eighty even though the rest of her body remained completely still. Her face twitched as she made the most frightening smile anyone could ever make.

"Wh…what?"

"That's right!" Konoka chirped, holding out three hand written forms. Starting the next semester, we're all gonna be library buddies! Omigosh this is gonna be so much fun! _Maybe we should give ourselves a title! Like the four librarian angels, or the bookkeeping brigade…"_

Mana wisely took a sidestep away from Yue, because Yue looked like she was going to spontaneously combust.

"It was m-more of a coincidence really…" Said Nodoka, twiddling her thumbs.

Thus, circling the conversation back to Haruna. "…but _what _a coincidence! I mean here we were signing forms and having interviews… and then we learn from the head librarian that Yue-chan works here as well! I mean seriously! The odds of that must be two thousand to one!"

"Lu…cky…me." Yue said, still shocked.

The time she stood still allowed enough time for Haruna to catch up, who circled her arms between Mana and Yue when she did so. "So where shall we go girlfriends? That Mystic Peg woman looks creepy! I gotta check her out! Oh wait I'm missing a few issues of 'Space Ketchup' my favourite Manga! Hey cool! There's a few book stores around!"

Konoka and Nodoka were quickly jogging up behind them.

"Viva la library club!" Konoka victoriously declared, waving two fingers in the air.

Nodoka's face turned slightly red. "Konoka-chan… p-people are looking…"

**-0-0-**

"Uh… um… I really like your… your… I really… I really like your w-website… thing…"

Chiu, or rather, Chisame stared in an unbelieving, blank sort of way. Keitaro. Him. Staring at the reformed version of her… mere centimetres away.

"Um… thanks?" Was all she could reply to that. _"God… I never knew for a second Keitaro would be a fan… even though he's unaware of my true identity. I have never felt so nervous in all my life!"_

Her thoughts seemed to match her body language flawlessly. She had endured her fair share of weirdoes, and even put up with the moronic drooling pervert or two. Keitaro however managed to knock the wind right out of her sails.

"So… what's your name?" Chiu asked. _"As if I don't already know…"_

"KEITARO URASHIMA!" Keitaro blurted out, causing the startled net idol to break the nib off her fountain pen. Now the poor fool couldn't even control his own voice box, and felt like passing out any given minute.

"_Just sign the photograph, and get this madness over with…" _Chisame instructed herself, but before ink met paper, Keitaro spoke again… or tried to at least.

"Uh… um… well… ah… um… I've…"

Inside Chisame was crying. _"Please God! I can't take much more of this!"_

"I'VE GOT A QUESTION TO ASK YOU!" Keitaro finished, amazed he managed this far.

Upon hearing this Chiu raised an eyebrow. It was not uncommon for a fan to ask for advice, but Keitaro…

"_A question, okay this shouldn't be too difficult… _okay… what is it you wish to ask me?" She asked and wondered respectfully.

"Well…" Keitaro started to answer. "I actually asked this question on your website, but you didn't seem to respond to it… notthatIamablamingyouoranything! I mean you must be really popular so I know you don't have time to check out every message that's sent to you! I didn't mean to offend!"

"_He sent me messages…? _What was the question?" Chiu said, trying to put Keitaro back on track.

"Huh? Oh yes! The question…"

Keitaro stared upwards into the sky as his hands fumbled to solve an invisible rubix cube. If staring at the dream girl caused him to blush, then this question was sure to issue him fiery powers even the human torch couldn't compete with.

"…the thing is… there's somebody… that I like, but I don't know if she likes me…"

She felt a buzz… a feeling rare to her. However, she tried to quickly cast away this emotion, and pressed on with the conversation.

"What's her name?"

Before he replied, two girls sprung inside Chisame's mind. It wasn't the toughest process of elimination. She concluded it had to either be Makie, the cute girl with a boisterous yet beautiful personality… or Mana, the very epitome of femininity and grace. Though she didn't feel like admitting it, both of these girls made quite an impact on Keitaro's life… so there was no doubt he had to fall head over heels for either of them.

"_Pretty bold of you." _Chisame thought. _"I honestly never believed you would have the spine to go through with this. I don't know how you do it, but girls… often take a shine to you…"_

For a moment… both Chiu and Chisame were smiling for him.

"_Well Keitaro… whoever you decide to choose… … good luck."_

Keitaro looked at her with confidence.

"Her name is Chisame."

…

…

Again, she felt the buzz.

…

Only this time, the feeling was enough to envelope everything around her. Like a chain reaction of fireworks, his words suddenly struck her. She couldn't believe it. She _wouldn't _believe it.

"Chen? Hahaha! That's a nice name!" Chisame somehow blurted out. "Sounds like Chiu when you think about it!"

"Um, sorry but I think you misheard me. I said Chisame."

The seesaw of life reared its wooden head. First it was Keitaro fumbling for words… but now Chisame couldn't even think straight without collapsing under the weight of her chair.

One of the guards leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Miss, are you alright? If there are any problems we can have this guy eradicated in a second."

"No no! Everything's fine! Everything's brilliant!" Chiu assured, allowing the guard to return to his standard position.

Keitaro made a muddled face as he didn't know what sort of answer was awaiting him. Noting Chiu's strange bout of silence he decided to press on with the topic.

"…and… well there's more to it…" Keitaro added, as if Chisame wasn't suffering enough. "She's kind of… a _lesbian_..."

Actually forget the fireworks, it was more of an automatic cannon blasting endless rounds of ammunition into her. Chisame had the sort of face that resembled somebody eating a lifetime supply of sour sweets. She couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth! The feeling was completely indescribable! And most insulting!

"… but I still… you know… like her…?" He finished, his voice sort of sighing as he trailed off.

The mask was starting to crack, so before she could make light of the situation, Chisame closed her eyes and mentally counted from one to five. Her bemused and angry state were replaced with one big lingering sigh.

"How do you know she is…gay?" She asked, strict emphasis on the word 'gay'.

Keitaro scrunched his face a little as his eyes moved from side to side. "Well, for starters, her own clothes look pretty masculine, oh, and there was that time when Mak… uh I mean a friend's mother visited us, and she spilt her drink all over her clothes, which revealed her… uh… things, and Chisame had this nosebleed… so as far as I know… only those kind of women have nosebleeds to that kind of… stuff."

Chisame sat there, mouth agape. _"Seriously?! THOSE were the reasons behind it all?!"_

Chiu however, tried to make best with the situation. She faked a little giggle, though she secretly wanted to throttle him with barbed wire.

"Keitaro… _kun_… you cannot judge a girl from their own wardrobe. Some girls are just more… reserved than others… maybe… maybe she just has a problem showing off her true self. As for the… second reason, well, perhaps she just felt embarrassed when she saw those… exposed objects."

"So… she isn't…?" Keitaro asked dumbly.

"NO." Chiu stated with definition. "Ah… hahaha, well unless she openly admits it, I would say there is a ninety five percent chance she isn't attracted to other women."

"So you're telling me there's a five percent chance that…"

"One hundred percent. There is a one hundred percent chance, okay?"

"Oh… okay…"

It was so hard to do it in front of him, but Chiu nonetheless tilted her head slightly and gave him a pretty eye smile.

"Trust me."

"Yeah! Okay! Th-thanks for everything!" Keitaro eagerly replied, rising from his chair. "And… and sorry to take up lots of your time!"

"No problem!" Chiu waved back. "Hope you enjoy the rest of the festival!"

Chisame, still embarrassed watched as the clueless dunderhead walked away… at long last. However, although she answered his question successfully, she secretly wanted to ask him a question in return…

…after all, she could not help but wonder why Keitaro was so attracted to her in the first place…

**-0-0-**

He sighed so loudly he almost toppled over forwards. He made a complete fool of himself, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. However, just talking to Chiu… felt brilliant. He could die right this instant and feel eternally happy for the rest of his afterlife.

Still feeling on cloud nine, Keitaro realised he had lost the girls for a second time, but knew they would somehow meet up again soon. He took this opportunity to purchase some yakitori from a nearby stall. The taste of piping hot barbecued chicken entering his mouth had immediately awoken all his taste buds. In fact it was so good, he treated himself to another two helpings, and washed the contents down with a large can of cream soda.

"Thanks for the food, seriously it tasted so good!" Keitaro said to the stall owner, a pretty young girl who proudly wore a chef's hat.

The girl smiled at his comment, raising a spatula as if it were attached to her arm. "Your welcome sir."

Keitaro continued to guide himself through random directions. He found himself noticing lots of other queues, which lead to other attractive girls. No doubt they were Chiu's online competition, but unlike Chiu these girls failed to make the grade. Some of them didn't quite have the charm factor, whilst others were downright snobby, thinking they were way above everyone else.

He was about to walk on straight ahead when he noticed a lonesome girl sitting beside a table. She was another internet idol, but unfortunately, nobody had queued up to see her. In fact, Keitaro wondered if anyone had visited her at all. Her welled up eyes suggested she was going to cry, if given the chance.

Feeling sorry for her more than anything, Keitaro approached the girl with a smile. For some reason he felt a lot more confidence than he did with Chiu.

"Hi there." He said with a wave.

The girl gasped when she looked upwards to face him. She seemed like a typical looking teenager, but her large round glasses and absolute shyness were the two key traits that made her shine. She had cyan eyes and twin braided ponytails were tied behind her black hair. Her bust size was very petit, but her young age suggested she was still in her early development stages. She wore a simple but pretty red dress and glittery, rose coloured shoes.

Most girls (well friends at least) would have reacted to Keitaro waving… with a simple wave of their own. This girl reacted by falling backwards on her chair, causing her whole dress to descend all the way to her neck. Thank God she was wearing underwear, or Keitaro would have taken a one way ticket to the paramedics. Realising her predicament, the girl at once up righted herself… only to stagger around and accidentally head butt Keitaro's groin, making them both fall to the ground in agony.

Recovering faster than her, Keitaro offered his hand, to which the girl gratefully accepted, considering her rear end was on a hard patch of earth.

"H-hi." She finally said.

Keitaro and the shy girl introduced themselves, since Keitaro wasn't really a fan of her. The manager learnt that her name was Sai, and was unfortunately ranked on the lower end of the internet popularity scale. She seemed nice enough, but found it very taxing to speak to people, usually resulting her turning away when she spoke. Sai also had a small collection of music CDs, which contained a few songs she created by herself. Noting that none of these copies had yet been sold, Keitaro decided to be the first. Finding four hundred yen in his pocket, the money and item were swiftly exchanged.

"Well… good luck with… with the internet…" Keitaro said, trying to find the correct words.

The girl replied with a deep shade of pink. "Mmm! Okay! Thanks for buying my…"

…

His head turned around with lightning reactions.

Keitaro, and everyone else around him heard a faint, but recognisable noise.

It was the sound of screaming…

Abandoning the timid girl, Keitaro ran headlong towards the scene of the commotion.

**-0-0-**

The people, the stalls and the field all turned into a blurred vision as Keitaro ran with all his strength, kicking the grass away with each stride he took. When he finally reached the source of the commotion… he stopped dead in his tracks.

Chiu looked in clear distress as she struggled to unhinge Diamonji's grip, her arm locked on tight by his monstrous hand. The bodyguards once protecting her had all laid in an unconscious pile, likely caused by the anger of this giant. Everyone else sensibly retreated, showing more concern for their family and other loved ones. It was an experience nobody should have to witness.

"LET GO OF ME." Chiu wailed, shouting at the top of her voice.

"Not until you answer my question!" Diamonji roared back. "Now, it was my bitch's birthday last week and I bought her a hundred and fifty gram bar of chocolate, but did she appreciate it? No! She fucking didn't! She fucking dumped me! Where the hell did I go wrong?!"

He blinked.

Out of nowhere, a fist brushed aside his nose. The impact wasn't truly effective, but it was enough to catch the big man off guard. On a reflex, Diamonji released his hold and stared in surprise when he noticed the attack was from the same grovelling guy he met at the supermarket. A trickle of blood escaped from his nostril, but Diamonji paid no attention to this newly formed wound.

His eyes burnt holes into Urashima's soul. "YOU?!"

"L-leave her alone!" Keitaro shouted. "If you want to pick on someone, why don't you pick on me?"

The net idol was completely lost for words. There was simply no way this was the same nervous, stuttering Keitaro she remembered.

"BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!" Diamonji snarled.

Not one to be intimidated, the giant rushed with a clenched fist. Keitaro's legs began to wobble, but bravely he stood his ground. He raised both his hands in defence, covering his face and eyes.

Diamonji just grinned.

The fist felt like a brick when it crushed into his gut. The pain vibrated every bone in Keitaro's body. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself lying face up on the ground. With a lingering groan he looked at the sky, having a very hard time registering the grim reality of the situation.

Slow footsteps were heard as a shadow approached the still form of Keitaro. Keitaro had enough strength to lift his head up… and the sight he saw nearly made him sick to his stomach. However, it wasn't Diamonji, he stood to one side, hands crossed, satisfied at what he had done. This other arrival was a person Keitaro knew all too well. The suit, the short brown hairstyle… the voice…

"Keitaro Urashima…"

That voice… that same voice which overwhelmed with confidence and pride.

Keitaro spoke through gritted teeth. "Kentaro…"

"…how long has it been? Twelve years? Thirteen?" Kentaro said. He was looking down at him the whole time. "To think that somebody like you was in the same school I was. Far as I remember, you weren't exactly the popular one were you? Bullied everyday. People treating you like shit. I'm surprised you didn't have the incentive to hang yourself…"

The words were like needles piercing into his mind.

"…yet still… here you are, looking as pathetic as always. Ha… to think you could even hurt my client over there… you never were good in the brains department were you…?"

Taking this opportunity to gloat further, Kentaro turned to face Chiu, who was still stunned with all the recent action.

"Oh and Chiu, hope you don't mind my friend intruding your little parade. Actually, consider it payback for the way you humiliated me moments ago."

Thankfully reinforcements arrived in the nick of time. Masayoshi, along with a dozen bodyguards ran to the scene, the principal demanding Kentaro to leave at once. Masayoshi knew him all too well. Kentaro's vast intellect allowed him to enroll in the university two years younger than anyone else, making him the premature genius so to speak. Needless to say, despite being a bright student, Kentaro became a complete snob, disrespecting students and tutors like they were mud on his shoe.

Even after all this time, Kentaro's attitude had not altered one bit.

The guards were just about to escort the two offenders when Kentaro casually folded open an identification card from his wallet.

"Ahem. Not so fast." Kentaro ordered. "It seems like all of you need a lesson in common sense. Since I'm the son of a multimillion game company, _and _the nephew of the most powerful lawyer in Japan… it would be of your best interest that none of you lay a finger on me or my client… _unless _you want me to sue this place for every yen it's worth…"

Cornered in this unfair predicament, Masayoshi had no choice but to call off his guards. Kentaro quietly chuckled to himself, but eventually walked away, alongside with his new muscular client. Only now had the unconscious guards woken from their surprising assault, and were now teamed up with the reinforcements.

Masayoshi faced the ground, his expression clear that he was in obvious distress. One of the guards lifted Keitaro off his feet, and was surprised when he didn't look as injured as he thought he would be. A couple of them asked Chiu if she was okay, which she replied with a timid nod. The rest tried their best to sort out the problem, and assured everyone around the vicinity to move along.

After some time Masayoshi and a handful of guards left the area, but not before the principal spoke to Chiu and thanked Keitaro profusely for his help.

…

All that stood left was a couple of guards… and the girl.

Keitaro slowly approached Chiu and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Gone was the nervousness and the stuttering. Now he looked like a completely different person.

"Are you alright?" Keitaro asked.

She was still a little scared, but Chiu nonetheless smiled with her response. "Yeah… thanks to you… I'm okay…"

The redhead averted her eyes from him, since a slight blush was threatening to appear on her face.

"…_seriously, I would have broken my wrist if it wasn't for Keitaro… but what was he thinking? The guy was twice his own height… yet… he just attacked him without hesitation…"_

She closed her eyes as she further contemplated her thoughts.

"…_just when I thought I had him figured out…"_

"Sorry madam, but we are under orders to escort you to the main campus, if only to prevent further harm to yourself." A guard spoke to Chiu. "If you would kindly follow me please."

The idol took one last look at Keitaro before coming to her senses. "Mmm, of course." She sighed a reply.

Keitaro could only stare at Chiu and the others slowly leaving his vision. He still felt weak and dizzy from the giant's fist, but now confidence and determination overruled the pain. One way or another, Keitaro wanted to prove to his old colleague that he wasn't the loser he was all those years ago.

…

…

_Author: Funny, I always do an authors note section, but most of the time I can never think up of anything to say. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter… and I might be a little while adding the next one, so please bare with me!_


	22. Signing up for a Fight!

**Chapter Twenty Two - Signing up for a Fight!**

…

This time… the long winding queue didn't lead to Chiu, nor to any other attractive internet idol. This time it lead to the library campus, which was held at the north east point of Toudai. Ironically, the library campus wasn't filled with the usual student intellects one would expect to see. Today it was packed with a variety of fighters, wrestlers, martial artists and others who have psychically trained in their chosen profession. You can tell from old wounds and scars that most of these people have undergone more than their fair share of battles. One of these fighters wore an eye patch, possibly the result of some vile street fight he recklessly partook in. Another showed off his bare torso, which was completely covered with oriental dragon tattoos.

As Keitaro stepped into the campus he could easily feel the stares of other eyes piercing right through him. Even the receptionist, a lady in her mid forties, gave him a curious stare when he approached her. Although nervous, Keitaro nonetheless tightened his mouth and asked for an entry form. The receptionist sternly looked at him before eventually sighing, doing as Keitaro requested. After all the other participants, Keitaro certainly didn't come off as fighting material.

Finding a desk hidden away in a corner, he sat down and laid the sheet face up. A weird… nostalgic feeling crept inside of him. It reminded him of the entrance exam he tried so many times to succeed at… only the ambience wasn't quite the same.

Keitaro glanced from his desk. Close by was the guy he remembered from the assembly hall, where the talent contest was held a few hours ago. It was Harima, and from the looks of things, entry forms didn't really sit well with him. To Keitaro, the questions were rather straight forward, but to Harima each question felt like pulling out a monolith with his teeth. Already Keitaro's heart began to beat faster. Was there anyway he could defeat someone of Harima's stature? Come to think of it, was there anyone he could defeat?

Keitaro sighed as his pen met the paper.

"_No… I'm not the same weakling I used to be… at least I don't think I am. Tatsumiya-san had taught me many skills in her training… the most important one being self confidence. It's true that I probably won't win the first round… heh, I'll be lucky to last one minute… but… I won't know for sure unless I try. Am I an idiot for going through with this? Probably… but recently what with Kentaro and Diamonji humiliating me and Chiu in front of everyone… it took me back to my childhood years where I was bullied just for having different dreams from everyone else. That was something I never wanted to repeat in my life._

_This is why I signed up for the tournament. I want to prove to Kentaro that I'm not pathetic. I want to prove to Tatsumiya-san that I __can__ hold my own in a fight."_

Fortunately the entry form was pretty straight forward, and it only took five minutes to finish. Whilst walking, Keitaro proof read his writing to make sure everything was answered correctly. His eyes were buried into the sheet.

"_Starting today, I'll be more confident, and I won't apologise repeatedly like I always do…"_

It all happened so fast.

One minute, he was casually minding his own business. The next minute, he collided body first into an attractive looking woman, bringing the two of them down to the floor. This 'victim' was five foot nine with long blonde hair and piercing green eyes. She was blessed with a very voluptuous figure, as with most girls who have bestowed Keitaro's life this way. She wore a black dress which was nearly as thin as nylon, with the addition of white fish net stockings covering her legs… and a cleavage that was a close match to Makie's own mother. Age wise, she looked like she was in her early twenties.

Keitaro experienced the upper section of her dress first hand… or rather, he experienced it with _both _hands.

"_They're so soft and squidgy!" _He thought, before snapping out of his erotic trance. "Huh…? WAAH! Oh God! I'm so sorry! Really, REALLY SORRY! FORGIVE ME! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"

The woman looked at him with soft, emotional eyes. "Um… sir?" She asked politely.

"Uh… what is it?" Keitaro questioned.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME, YOU BENT, PERVERTED PRICK!" She roared, shoving Keitaro backwards and rising to her feet in an instant.

Both of them stood there, a mere metre apart. To say she was angry would be the understatement of the century. Her face was beet red with rage and steam emitted out of her nostrils and ears. Keitaro's repeated apologises still fell on deaf ears, or perhaps her glowing red aura completely neglected any source of reasoning. To Keitaro's horror, a black, shadowy flame quickly ignited her left fist. Most of the fighters turned to face her with shock, or show some surprise at least. Wisely they all took a step back.

Keitaro tightly closed his eyes as he felt the unnatural fire get closer to his skin. Out of all the deaths he expected in his colourful life, having a smouldering hole punched through his face wasn't exactly his preferred way to go.

"Takane-senpai!" A voice called out.

Her fist stopped an inch away from his eyes. Keitaro scrunched his face as he awaited the blow that never happened. From out of nowhere, another girl darted to the scene. Unlike the blonde banshee, she was a lot shorter and younger, but certainly just as agile. As quick as a flash she reached out and grabbed the taller girl by the wrist. Heaven knows how her grip manage to instantly extinguish the black fire, but whatever the cause Keitaro was certainly grateful for this untimely intrusion.

"MEI NARUSEGAWA!" The blonde known as Takane screamed. "Why the hell did you stop me for?!"

Mei almost reacted loudly as her would be friend. The short girl wore an ultra cute Sailor Moon outfit. "Why? You could have killed him! We would have been disqualified from the tourney altogether!"

"But…! But he molested my puppies!" Takane shot back, waving a fist at Mei.

(upon hearing this, lots of male fighters tried to contain the sudden ketchup from their nostrils).

"Doesn't mean you have to kill him!" Mei angrily replied.

Fortunately the sudden argument allowed Keitaro to sneak by unnoticed. Again, his doubts on whether or not to participate increased ten fold. After just seeing a swirling black sphere of death, and a little girl with the ability to block such an attack with ease… he could only wonder what was in store for him.

Stealing his nerves, Keitaro handed in the form and spent the next few minutes gazing at two large sheets of paper on the wall nearby. These sheets were filled with the names of those participating the fighting tournament. One name he recognised immediately… Diamonji. Twice he met this guy, and Keitaro noted that Diamonji seemed only satisfied if someone was on the receiving end of his fist. Unsurprisingly, he was near the top of the list.

However, this giant aside, it was the number of people on the sheets that startled him. From a quick scan, there was nearly fifty people taking part, and not everyone had filled in their forms yet. Keitaro guessed there would be a total of sixty four participants. If this tournament followed the standard procedures, each match would be a one on one conflict. Therefore, a fighter would only become the champion after successfully beating six opponents. What's more, the tournament would last until midnight… so there wasn't going to be much time to recuperate after each round.

"_If I chicken out now… no I can't… even if I wanted to… I already handed in the form." _Keitaro realised. _"I just hope I won't put myself in serious danger… I don't want to worry my friends and family…"_

Focusing on his reality, Keitaro proceeded to walk outside. That is, until he collided with _another_ person. He really should be nicknamed 'the breast bouncer' because he seemed to acquire a nasty habit of bouncing into women with large breasts. Breasts that, this time belonged to the busty blue haired girl, Mikoto Suo, who was alongside Hanai, the serious, stronger looking version of Keitaro.

Keitaro panicked, apologised another dozen times and ran like an insane child, not wanting to test Mikoto's wrath as well. Fortunately Mikoto wasn't one with a short temper, though the collision did startle her a little.

"Hey, wasn't that the guy we saw in the talent contest?" Mikoto asked Hanai, stealing a quick glance of Keitaro's running form.

Hanai simply looked at Keitaro and adjusted his glasses, maintaining his serious expression.

**-0-0-**

Inside the main campus, Masayoshi paced back and forth, angry and upset at having the festival mistreated by the hands of Kentaro and Diamonji. All he could do was pray nothing else could go wrong, but the moment he thought that, the door burst wide open, revealing a very panicky looking bodyguard. The guard paused for breath when he stopped just a few inches away from the principal. Chiu was also around the area, still feeling slightly shaken from the incident which occurred nearly an hour ago. She and Masayoshi spun to face the man in the suit.

"Sir!" He said. "We have a major problem! Asakura-san, our hostess for the tournament, has been struck sick! She is being escorted off to hospital as we speak!"

Masayoshi tried to remain calm, though it was without doubt another huge blow for the festival. "How? What happened to her?" He asked.

"I'm not sure exactly." The guard replied. "She muttered that she had something to drink, and before I knew it she collapsed!"

**-0-0-**

_(what happened… about half an hour earlier…)_

A woman in her young twenties with widely styled purple hair had casually rested herself by one of the larger trees. The way she was gasping suggested she desperately needed something to drink. The guard beside her took the hint and rushed for the nearest drink stand he could find.

Just then, a girl half her size with long blue hair appeared out of nowhere and offered her a small white carton… a carton that contained an unsavoury combination of egg yolk and parsnip mayonnaise.

"For me? Hey thanks kid! I'm gasping!" Said the purple haired girl…

**-0-0-**

"We desperately need a replacement! One who can fit into this!" The guard continued. From a bag, he quickly pulled out a tight, futuristic looking silver top with a matching thigh length skirt. In addition, the clothing had a lightning streak designed on its sides.

For some odd, really strange reason, Chiu found herself been stared at by every single guard in the room.

"No." Masayoshi decided. "She has done enough for us already."

Chiu however, thought otherwise. She politely coughed which caused a surprised Masayoshi to face her.

"I'll do it." She said, with a small confident smile.

**-0-0-**

If she gasped any stronger, Yue would have fell head first into the dirt. She could barely feel her legs, and her face was bright red with exhaustion. Jogging a few feet behind was Mana, who paused for air when she caught up with the blunette.

"Have we lost them?" Mana said between breaths.

Gravity finally found Yue, as she unceremoniously sat on the grass. "Yeah I think so."

The two of them had a look at their new surroundings. Nearby was the library campus, and emerging from this building was a massive stream of fighters participating. All of them had fanned out, taking different directions from the others. One of the guys noticed Mana and decided to try his luck, approaching her with confidence… and a smirk. The man looked like a pirate. He had an eye patch, and more metal piercing than skin.

Mana's patience was starting to wear thin, especially after being fondled and embarrassed by the new library trio.

"Hey baby!" He introduced himself, flexing his muscles. "How about after the tourney you and me get together?"

She calmly closed her eyes.

"HEY!" The man shouted, already losing his patience. "You giving me blanks girl? Am I not good enough for you?!"

The moment she reopened them, two glowing white orbs pierced the pirate's vision with merciless ice. The sight alone was enough to reduce any man to tears.

"WOAH! HOLY SHIT! WHO… WHO ARE YOU?! N-N-NEVER MIND! I'M OUTTA HERE!"

With that, the man scrambled away like a frightened boy, never to bother her again. Mana simply blinked, and her eyes returned to their normal sky blue colour. Yue looked upwards at her. Though she made no facial expressions, inside she was quite amazed.

"That was cool." The blunette admitted.

"Simply an alternate way of dealing with such people." Mana replied.

"Hey! Yue-chan! Tatsumiya-san!"

Both the girls easily recognised the voice. It belonged to none other than Keitaro Urashima, waving to and fro as he jogged headlong to greet them.

"Urashima-san." Mana greeted. "Did you…?"

"Yeah!" Keitaro cut off. "I'm now a qualified fighter for Tuftee! _Um… why do I sound so happy about that?"_

Yue raised an eyebrow. "You're joining the tournament?"

With a grin and a thumbs up, Keitaro turned his attention towards the blunette. "Heh… I probably should have mentioned that to you earlier."

The two stared at Keitaro as he pulled out what looked liked to be a long scroll.

"Um… what's this?" Mana questioned.

"A will." Keitaro replied… all of a sudden, tears in his eyes deteriorated his mask of happiness. "Heh… you know just in case I… I… OH GOD WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE?! I'M GONNA GET BROKEN INTO LITTLE BITS!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" Mana ordered, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Nothing will happen to you! Right Ayase-san?"

"Hmm?" Already Yue seemed fascinated in Keitaro's handwriting, wondering how much of the Urashima finance she was going to obtain.

As if things weren't insane enough, a booming voice laughed manically into the sky. Keitaro, Mana and Yue instinctively gawped upwards to see Taishi hanging upside down from the highest branch off a tree. He was dressed in a multicoloured chequered suit and looked like he just escaped from a mental institution. Somehow (lord knows how) Taishi flipped into a reverse somersault and landed with perfect, feline like grace. His pose was similar to a gymnast who had finished his performance.

"Taishi, the Taishi Reverse Somersault, and the Taishi Trademark Cooperation are all part of the Taishi Comic Party Association. Anyone who attempts to imitate Taishi, the Taishi Reverse Somersault or the Taishi Trademark Cooperation will be prosecuted to the full extend of the law, and will spend the next eleven months wiping my shoes."

"_Who is he talking to?" _Thought Mana.

Keitaro narrowed his eyes slightly. _"Isn't he the same guy that drove his motorcycle out of that cave? …and people call me weird…"_

"HEL-LO!" Taishi greeted in his usual spectacular flourish. "Greetings my petit lady, my amazing amazon… and… and my… whimpering emo guy!"

Mana and Keitaro stood dumbstruck whilst Yue already became acquainted with his odd demeanour. In a flash Taishi placed both his hands over Keitaro's arms, bringing him so close, it looked as though their noses were touching. If people were watching, it could have been some kind of homosexual affair.

"Whimpering emo guy." Taishi said calmly. "It appears that you are having doubts about entering the tournament."

"Well… kind of…" Keitaro replied, still feeling Taishi's heated breath. "…and my name's Keitaro, not emo guy."

"WELL WORRY NOT FRIEND!" Taishi assured him, his sudden loud voice blasting Keitaro's ear drums. "Because I know beneath that quivering exterior lies the soul of a knight in golden armour! After all… I had witnessed your uphill struggle with the demonic Diamonji from afar…"

Mana's eyes slightly widened from Taishi's truth. _"Diamonji… is that the person Yue was referring to?" _

"You were watching that?" Keitaro said, then sighed aloud. "Then… you saw me get beaten to a pulp."

"That I did see comrade, but you risked your own life and limb to save the Internet Princess from further peril. That, my friend, is what a true warrior is all about."

"I guess." Keitaro tried to see reason. "Even so, what good am I… if I can't even protect myself?"

"Oh ho! You cannot protect yourself? Really?! Well I beg to differ!"

"No really I can't!"

Taishi smirked sinisterly.

Aware of his change of personality, Mana formed an offensive stance, but she didn't act just yet. In fact, she came to realise that Taishi… was only trying to help.

Taishi's fist began to vibrate violently. His smile formed into an angry battle cry.

"ULTIMATE THUNDER TAISHI FIST!" He roared, and as he shouted, his fist was consumed with an apocalyptic electricity. This vicious monstrosity was targeted straight for Keitaro's forehead.

The manager's eyes nearly popped out of its sockets. Fear, confusion, and excitement were all swirling into his mind at once, though unknown to him, these were the simple emotions one always had to go through in a fight.

This feeling took him all the way back to Hinata-Sou, where he was testing his strength against a single wooden pole. He remembered striking the still object repeatedly until every part of his body begged for forgiveness. For a while he struck out any possible attack, taking out all his childhood frustrations and pain life had dealt to him. When all these feelings accumulated, something inside of him… ignited.

With his left hand, Keitaro disarmed Taishi's fist flawlessly. Temporarily disabled, Taishi aimed to punch his jaw with his other hand. Before he could counterattack though, Keitaro had already struck him on the chest with his right palm. The force was so great that Taishi had flown backwards into the tree he was hanging from earlier.

Both Mana and Yue were amazed, Mana especially. Though Keitaro's attack was swift, Mana studied the fight in slow motion.

Keitaro breathed heavily, still surprised by Taishi's actions, and his own. He remained stationary, watching Taishi slowly lift himself back up. With a smirk, Taishi wiped away the blood flowing out of his mouth.

He chuckled as he looked at Keitaro in a new light. "Heh heh… it appears the knight has emerged from his hole. With you and the amazon side by side, the rest of the tournament won't stand a chance…"

Yue raised her hand to make a point. "Um… Taishi? Mana-san isn't entering the..."

Mana took a glance at Keitaro and smiled widely. "Actually… I have decided to enter. It seems like there will be a lot of interesting opponents to face… _and it will give me the perfect opportunity to witness Urashima-sans fighting techniques first hand."_

"BRAVO!" Taishi applauded. "But hurry on my amazon! You only have eighteen minutes before Tuftee begins! Go with the Gods and fulfil your destiny!"

Keitaro watched as Mana moved with her usual combined speed and grace. _"I honestly thought she would be the first to sign her name."_

Keitaro turned to face Taishi once more. This time he had a finger and thumb placed over his chin, looking like the proverbial Sherlock Holmes.

"There's just one more task to accomplish." Thought Taishi aloud.

At once he fished out a tiny remote control device from his jacket pocket. With eagerness he pressed a big red button, causing the very area to rumble in a rapid motion. Slowly, a small building ascended from the underground, nearly causing Keitaro to faint in suprise. Taishi grinned as the sun reflected from his glasses and teeth. The building was titled 'Taishi's Superior Clothes Store' in whacky multicoloured font. Yue decided to take a photograph, since it was certainly an unusual sight, even for her.

"What use is an almighty warrior if he cannot show off his stylish new wardrobe?" Taishi said, smiling. "Come, we have much exploring to do…"

**-0-0-**

The fields steadily grew quiet with each passing minute. In fact, the population in the festival was now a third of its original capacity. The seats in the coliseum had steadily filled themselves with excited spectators and the like, all of them watching with anticipation as to when the fighting arts tournament was going to start. Of course, the younger generation were denied entry due to a high chance there was going to be bloody violence all the way through. Only those over a certain age were allowed in.

Finding seats closest to the arena, Haitani and Shirai sat next to each other. Already they were munching through their fifth bag of popcorn and the event hadn't even started yet.

"You know, it was probably wrong of us to desert Keitaro like that." Shirai stated, washing down the snacks with an oversized bottle of lemonade.

Haitani stretched his arms and slouched at the back of his chair. "Yeah, but he would just get in the way of our chick fest… hey! I wonder if he's gonna watch the tourney?"

Shirai laughed. "Him?! Yeah right! Remember the time we invited him over our place?"

"You mean when we were watching Super Ninja Combat IV?" Haitani said. "Oh yeah now I remember! He fainted after the first ten minutes! What a wasted evening that was! Had to involve nurses and everything…"

"Hmm… wonder if there are women fighters wearing nurse's outfits?" Shirai wondered aloud.

"WOAH! That would be so sweet!" Haitani said, cheering for all he was worth.

…

…

Around six or seven rows above, Makie, Ako and Yuna all found a comfortable seating position. Actually Ako had some 'gentle' encouragement from the other two over excited girls, since she wasn't one to sit through violence and enjoy it.

"W-why do we have to go here?" Ako questioned nervously. "You know h-how I feel with these kind of events."

"Relax!" Yuna assured. "Nothing majorly bad will happen, trust me! Besides these guys are professionals. They're probably used to having blood shed all the time!"

"P-p-please don't mention the 'b' word…"

"Oh right. Well… if you see anything… um 'b' related, just close your eyes!"

Makie ignored all the loud ambience emitting from everybody around her. She now remained quiet as she casually slurped on a small bottle of squash.

"_Wonder if Senpai and the others will arrive?"_

…

…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, another nervous girl, this time with blue hair, looked down below to the main stage. Her knees were knocking with fright.

"Oh calm down Nodoka-chan!" Haruna said, who sat next to her. She wore a gigantic nacho made cowboy hat, taking chunks out of it and eating them every minute or so. People behind her couldn't see a thing.

"I… I'll try…" Nodoka timidly replied.

Konoka, who sat on the other side of Haruna, made her normal eye smile as her head swayed left and right. However, ten seconds later and she quickly snapped out of her trance, looking around the audience with a confused look on her face.

"Hey guys. Have you seen Yue-chan and her girlfriend anywhere?" The airhead said, unaware that Yue and Mana had ditched them ages ago.

…

…

A couple of rows below the library club were Tenma and Yakumo, now dressed in casual clothing (which Yakumo was more than grateful for). Tenma was completely absorbed by the atmosphere, bouncing around whilst waving three different flags over her head. One was labelled 'Hanai' and the other two were labelled 'Harima' and 'Mikoto'.

"Go Harima-kun! Go Hanai-kun! Go Mikoto-chan! Go Mikoto-chan! Go Hanai-kun! Go Harima kun…!" Tenma chanted in a high pitched, excitable voice.

A tiny smile crept upon Yakumo's face. Though her sister was a handful at times, she couldn't help being infected with her happiness.

…

…

From the north most point of the arena, a colourful selection of characters were seated in a secluded area, reserved only for the guests of honour. Chiu's and Masayoshi's identities, were of course, easily recognisable.

Chiu was thankful for her slender figure, since the silver material just managed to fit over her. The outfit didn't leave much for the imagination, and was so tight to wear that it almost looked like somebody used body paint on her.

Masayoshi wore his best suit and bow tie, looking overly pleased at the outcome. Of course the event wouldn't be without its problems, but at the moment he simply inhaled all the excitement surrounding him.

Standing next to the principal was a very large shadowy figure. His height was gargantuan… close to seven feet tall, and every inch of his body was ripped with muscles made of steel. He wore a dark green outfit and large brown shoes. His long blonde hair flowed down to his back, and his beard, moustache and eyebrows all looked like giant clumps of thick straw. This titan of a man stood tall without budging an inch, his arms crossed together into a formidable stance.

A few minutes later and Masayoshi's face turned into a slight frown. He tapped his foot a few times and glanced over his wrist watch.

"_I hope he arrives soon." _

**-0-0-**

Everyone screamed as they dived out of the way.

The Taishi-cycle blasted through speeds which topped even the combined forces of light and sound. Driving this psychotic contraption was of course Taishi, and seated in the just so recently attached sidecar was Yue, who sensibly opted to wear a helmet.

"YAAAAH-HOOOO!" Taishi screamed as endless smoke drifted out from behind. "ONLY THREE MINUTES TO GO AND THE ULTIMATE SUPER STAR FIGHTING TOURNAMENT WILL BEGIN! CAN YOU FEEL THE EXCITEMENT MY LITTLE LADY?!"

Yue just nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

Kicking into a higher gear, Taishi revved the machine for all he was worth. It didn't take much time for the unlikely duo to end up in the arena itself. At once the audience around them made a cheering sound as the motorcycle drove around in endless circles. Masayoshi looked at the spectacle with a satisfied smile. As for Chiu, her throat was dry with shock. This shock was only amplified by the fact nobody else near her reacted much at all, especially the giant dressed in green.

"_God! Am I the only person in this world that reacts to anything crazy?!" _Chiu screamed her mind.

"Same old Taishi." The principal said to himself.

"Is… this the guy I'm working with?" Chiu asked.

Masayoshi nodded, and took heed of Chiu's slightly sour expression. "Yes, this is Taishi Kuhonbutsu, a former three year drama Toudai student. He also used to be a member of the Manga Club, the fighting club, the art club, the audio club and the library club… though… as I recall… he didn't last too long in the library club. I know his… eccentric behaviour is slightly off putting, but I believe you two would make the perfect match."

"_Gee, you make it sound like a date." _Thought Chiu.

Suddenly, the sidecar split into a separate, miniature vehicle, to which Yue alone now took control of. Casually, Yue drove her way and parked nearby where the guests of honour attended. Chiu didn't know whether to faint or just ride along with the madness.

"Hello." Yue said, folding open a small card. The card allowed authority to pose as the main guest this evening. Masayoshi carefully examined this before accepting her.

"Aha, so you're friends with Taishi-kun." He said to Yue. Yue simply nodded.

"Hi again Yue-chan!" Chiu waved, adopting her cuteness role before Yue became suspicious.

Unfortunately just as the vehicle separated, the motorcycle sprung a fuel leak, which was not the best of timings since there wasn't much left in the tank to begin with. As a result, Taishi rode straight into a wall where thankfully, none of the audience were nearby. Everyone gasped when the speeding contraption burst into flames before exploding in a devastating manner.

As coincidences would have it, a fire truck was on standby just in case anything wild happened. The sound of sirens deafened the arena and once the red vehicle stopped, many firemen burst out with water hoses. Even though he was completely smothered with fire, Taishi looked seemingly unaffected by it all, waving to all the audience as firemen extinguished his body.

"Is he alright?!" Chiu asked, deeply disturbed by this.

"This is _Taishi _we are talking about." Yue assured the idol.

Chiu continued to observe the horrific scenery, even though the audience were cheering loudly than ever. _"What's that supposed to mean? Is he some kind of extra terrestrial?!"_

"Chiu-san… it's time." The principal stated. Acquiring a microphone, Chiu quickly took the message, and jogged to the centre of the arena, alongside her 'partner in crime' the drenched but still crazy Taishi.

Taishi watched as the beautiful net idol walked quickly to greet him. Such an event would flood his face with tears… but without further stalling, he fished out a microphone and began to address each and every spectator.

His chest puffed out as he prepared the introduction.

"**WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE FIRST **_**EVER **_**TOUDAI ULTIMATE FIGHTING TOURNAMENT! FOR THE NEXT FOUR AND A HALF HOURS YOU WILL BE SEEING THE MOST STRONGEST, TOUGHEST AND COURAGEOUS WARRIORS EVER TO COMPETE IN SUCH A GRUELLING FIGHT TO THE FINISH! WHO WILL WIN? WHO WILL PREVAIL? THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE, SO LET THE BUTT KICKING COMMENCE!"**

The audience roared with Taishi. Chiu watched his speech and swallowed a lump in her throat. The guy was amazing. True a psychotic lunatic, but amazing nonetheless. With his voice alone, Taishi literally rocked the arena to its core, and the audience was completely under his control. In fact, Chiu was so captivated that she almost forgot it was her turn to address the public. Chiu's role was to explain the rules of the tournament… and thankfully she just remembered her lines.

"**Thank you Taishi-kun!" **Chiu said, taking over from Taishi's position. **"Now the rules are as follows: you may only win by knock out, or by forcing your opponent out of the circle! Similarly, you may forfeit the match at any time. Submissive manoeuvres and any type of weaponry are strictly forbidden!"**

Where Chiu lacked the stronger voice, she easily took in the audience with her charm and beauty. The silvery outfit probably helped a lot as well.

"**To explain the rules in a more clearer perspective, we are going to give to you, the audience… a demonstration fight! Allow me to introduce to you… our special guest who is a well known martial arts extraordinaire, all the way from Kyoto… Kaede Nagase!"**

There was a brief moment of silence, causing some of the audience to wonder what was going on. Soon afterwards, a tall, dark haired woman performed bounding leaps straight from the unsuspecting crowds of people, with her feet landing perfectly on the arena circle. Again the audience clapped their hands, ecstatic that a fight was going to take place straight away, albeit an unofficial one.

Kaede's size and statue was a parallel match to Mana. She wore a shining black tuxedo complete with a silver bow tie and suede shoes. In addition, on top of her head was a pair of fluffy brown bear ears, probably an accessory she bought from the Manga Convention. Her long black hair was tied at the back, resulting into a thin ponytail wavering behind her. Kaede posed with a broad smile on her face, and her eyes were narrowed to slits, indicating she meant business.

"…**and her opponent she will be facing is… is… uh…"**

As Kaede readied herself for battle, Chiu proceeded to call out the next competitor, but was shocked to see question marks dotted all over her cue card!

Basking in the silence of the crowd, Taishi simply chuckled to himself, his green hair overshadowing his eyes. With a swift arm motion he removed his burnt suit, which underneath revealed a traditional looking karate outfit… well… it would have looked more traditional if it wasn't florescent pink, and didn't have the words 'Taishi rocks the world' written on his back.

"**HER OPPONENT IS ME!" **Taishi declared in a massive outburst. He threw his microphone backwards, which landed smack into Chiu's face.

Grinning at the surprised cheering from the audience, Taishi lunged towards Kaede without a shred of remorse. However, Kaede's reflexes were incredibly sharp, avoiding Taishi's straight punch by swerving her body counter clockwise.

The crowd roared with absolute adrenaline. Most were on their feet.

**-0-0-**

Fascination and fear accumulated Keitaro's thoughts. Fascination because it was nothing he had ever experienced before in his life. Most of the participants were dressed in some of the most outrageous uniforms one could ever lay their eyes upon. Sailor outfits, dominatrix styles, leather jackets… just about any material that had ever been invented was worn by at least one of these fighters.

Keitaro and Mana, who stood side by side, now changed their casual wear in favour for something more tournament orientated. Keitaro wore a dark green karate outfit, which was designed in a way similar to a shell of a turtle. Mana wore light leathered slacks and vest, both of them white in colour, and over this she had on a large, pale blue trench coat, altogether making her look like a special forces agent.

Now Keitaro expected to see sixty four participants. What he didn't expect… was to see more than a hundred of them! This was when his 'fear' side kicked in. Another thing was these mass of people were divided into eight groups of fifteen. As fortune would have it, Mana was by his side, but this did not stop him from worrying. Diamonji, Harima, Hanai and Mikoto were all fairly close by, all of them eagerly waiting for the tournament to begin. Diamonji and Harima wore their usual casual wear, whilst Mikoto and Hanai together wore a traditional white karate outfit with black belts. Also far away, but recognisable was the blonde bombshell Takane, and next to her was her friend Mei Narusegawa.

A few feet in front of all the fighters stood a long row of Masayoshi's bodyguards, and behind the muscle filled suits led a path to the arena itself. At the moment, the fighters could not see the arena, but they could hear the faint battle cry of a certain green haired lunatic from afar.

The suit in the middle listened carefully to the commands issued on his earpiece. Then, at once, he spoke to everybody participating.

Keitaro, Mana and everyone else looked onwards and listened intently to what the man in black had to say…

…

…

_Author: Firstly, sorry this took so long to update. No excuses really, but to me, the weeks seem to have flown by. Secondly, sorry the chapter isn't as long as the previous ones, but I felt it was a good (if cliffhangerish) spot to end it. After working on the story for such a long time, I've come to a realisation that chapters will not end after a fixed number of words… rather they will finish when I'm satisfied with the content._

_Next chapter… expect fighting. Lots and lots of fighting!_

_See you next time!_


	23. Tuftee Begins! Battle Royal Elimination!

**Chapter Twenty Three - Tuftee Begins! Battle Royal Elimination!**

…

"_**APOCALYPTIC RIGHTEOUS STORM KNUCKLE!"**_

Taishi's fist of thunder had the intention of soaring straight into his opponent. The moment he lunged his arm however, Taishi knew something did not quite connect. Before he could figure out what was going on, he found himself staggering forward from the weight of his own upper body. To his surprise and dismay, Kaede vanished into thin air!

Taishi checked his surroundings. Like the ends of a compass, three clones of the female warrior stood poised east, south and west, whilst the original stood north. Each warrior was completely focused on Taishi, who was now standing helplessly at the centre.

Even though he was in a severe, perhaps impossible predicament, Taishi just smiled.

"_Heh heh…" _He chuckled to himself. _"The ability to multiply herself with such speed. This warrior possesses an incredibly high level of ninjitsu."_

At once, Kaede and the three clones blurred into the centre, forming a cross when they collided into the unfortunate Taishi. Taishi screamed as his sorry carcass hurled itself vertically into the sky… before plummeting back down with a sickening crunch.

Of course, the audience cheered at the abrupt, but exciting outcome of the match. For anybody with a taint of fighting lust, it was a feeling most satisfying.

It was clear that Kaede easily outmatched Taishi with her incredible combination of speed and quick thinking. Despite being the better competitor, Kaede was not one to boast about her skill. When Taishi lifted his face up, he was quite surprised to see her opponent towering over him, offering an outstretched hand. Taishi wasted no time accepting her offer, allowing Kaede to pull him up to his feet.

"That was quite a display." Taishi said, coughing small droplets of blood as he spoke.

As Kaede spoke, her eyes and mouth beamed with an impressive display of respect. "Do not feel disappointed with yourself, it was my experience that bested you in the end. Continue to work hard, Taishi-kun!"

"Damn right I will!" Taishi replied eagerly.

With that, Kaede leapt away from the arena, in a reverse fashion of the way she introduced herself in the first place. For people lacking concentration, it appeared to them that Kaede had teleported to a far away location.

"…**let's hear for Taishi Kuhonbutsu and Kaede Nagase!" **Chiu cheered from the microphone.

Chiu masked a brave voice to the audience, but her inner self was understandably freaked out to no end. She just witnessed, first hand, her partner getting the holy hell kicked out of him… and all this in the name of entertainment.

"Are you alright?" Chiu whispered to Taishi, moving her microphone away beforehand.

"Splendid!" Came Taishi's answer, his normally loud voice now replaced with a soft, croaky one. Truth be told, it was amazing he could still stand.

**-0-0-**

His outer body looked somewhat calm, but his mind was still shaking like a leaf.

Keitaro focused on the earlier days of his life, which to him only seemed like yesterday. He was… sort of satisfied with his environment, slaving long hours with unappreciative customers, but returning to those four girls made the workload more than bearable. Sadly there was only a few annoying blips in his head. Try as he might, Keitaro could not simply push his past aside, which of course was made even worse thanks to his previous encounters.

Which is what led him here. The Toudai Ultimate Fighting Tournament. A grand stage filled to the brim with ruthless, battle hardened monsters, all waiting eagerly for their chance to shine.

With a worried expression, Keitaro, along with everyone else listened to the man in black.

"Now… you are probably wondering why you are all divided into separate groups. Well, since they are so many of you, we had decided to start things off with eight battle royal matches. For those of you who don't know what a battle royal is, please listen carefully…"

You could tell from the various reactions that everyone was itching for a good scrap. Only Keitaro and a few other newbie participants listened on.

From what Keitaro heard, a battle royal involved a large number of people in the arena at once. You eliminate the opposition by forcing them out of the circle, and of course anyone beaten to the state of unconsciousness could not advance either. There was a slight modification to the rule, that being the last two people remaining would enter the next round, rather than only one. Even so, Keitaro did not favour those odds.

He could just picture the scene. Fists will be flying from all sides, and bodies will be flung around like rag dolls. In the worst case scenario, many pounds of muscle would be crashing into him, not a very appealing thought at all.

The guard once again heard Masayoshi's voice from the ear piece, the signal to finally begin…

**-0-0-**

After Taishi's defeat, the arena was now empty… but not for long. Everyone was beyond ecstatic when Chiu announced the rules, more so since the idol's angelic voice was amplified through the microphone.

Whilst Chiu was keeping the audience at bay. Masayoshi, Yue and the mysterious giant figure all stood by the elusive area of the main tournament.

"So it begins…" said the principal, keeping his ear piece in check just in case there was trouble.

"So it begins…" Yue repeated, causing Masayoshi to turn and face her. "You copied that line from Lord of the Rings, didn't you?"

Masayoshi scratched his head in reply. "Umm…"

Suddenly, the mystery figure revealed himself from the shadows. For a man who seemed capable of slaying an army, his eye smile was quite… discomforting. Certainly unexpected.

"Ho ho ho! Indeed he did!" The blonde giant added, his voice powerful, yet seemingly filled with joy. "Also the way the king said that phase, it was all commanding… like **'so it begins'**,whilst Masayoshi-san made the phrase sound like it was coming out of a small boy!"

"My name's Yue." Yue introduced, completely halting the previous debate.

"Delighted to meet you little girl! My name is Hayato…"

"Don't call me little girl. Call me Yue."

"Oh… I apologise. I didn't mean to offend you."

Masayoshi's mouth was a perfect straight line as a sweat drop appeared behind him. _"Those two are… a little strange."_

Just when things couldn't get weirder, Taishi ran to his side, leaving a trail of smoke behind him. You could tell from first glance that he previously escaped from the hospital. His right arm was covered in plaster, but despite a few other bruises, he seemed to be fine.

Masayoshi didn't even face him, since he could detect his presence a mile away. "I see not even a medical facility could contain you." He sighed.

"HA HA!" Taishi blared out laughing. "Masayoshi-san, you forget… I am un-containable!"

"Well I'm glad to see you're alright." Replied the principal. "Oh! I nearly forgot! Taishi, I would like you to meet Hayato Furinji. He will be our honoured guest for the rest of this evening."

His jaw… dropped.

In a flash Taishi collapsed on all fours, pressing his lips on Hayato's feet. His voice instantly changed to that of a noble squire admiring his paladin. "Hayato Furinji-sama… this is a great honour. I have heard countless, epic tales of you and your granddaughter! Is it true that you once stopped a train with your bare hands?!"

Hayato's chest heaved outwards as he let out a low, booming chuckle. "Oh ho ho! It was my bare _hand _actually! I sprained the other sparring with Miu-chan that day!"

At once Taishi struck a nerve. This thought caused him to scramble to his feet. "Is… is she going to participate?!"

"Oh my no!" Hayato replied as he waved off his comment. "I'm afraid my Miu-chan has… advanced to a degree where tournaments are now a delay to her training schedule. I have however invited three of my top students, who are sure to ignite a spark in this event."

"I see." Taishi concluded. "… your granddaughter sounds like one formidable opponent… I MUST CHALLENGE HER ONE DAY!"

Masayoshi could only shake his head as Hayato roared with laughter. Yue was wondering what everyone was talking about, but decided it was best for her not to care.

Chiu and the four honoured spectators immediately faced straight ahead when the audience grew even louder than before. The very first participant scouted his surroundings, first the massive, circular arena, and then all the people cheering for him. He grinned and gallantly waved to everybody. He had a reasonable height for most male fighters, standing at six foot. His skin was slightly tanned and his silky, long blue hair was tied up in a ponytail. His dress sense was a little… over the top. A light golden jacket was worn over his black vest, and his slacks were of the same colour as his jacket. Even his trainers were glittered with silver. Finally, his red padded gloves were a sure giveaway of his chosen fighting style, and you could tell just from his confidence he had trained in this profession all his life.

With a grand flourish, Chiu announced the arrival of the first participant. **"Meet entry number one! Known as the boxing legacy… Takeda Ikki!"**

Flashing white stars scattered around the arena. Everyone with a camera did not hesitate to take as many photos as possible. After having his name announced, Takeda made a charming smile, showing some of his brilliant white teeth. It wasn't long before the squealing of young, female teenagers overruled the audience.

Trailing not so far behind was a man built like Diamonji, perhaps… more to a degree than him. Muscles threatened to tear out of his short sleeved white shirt. The rest of his wardrobe was equally basic, that being he wore black jeans and comfortable trainers. Over his head were a pair of small, circular sunglasses.

"**Entry number two! Known for throwing his opponents over impossible distances… Ukita Kozo!"**

Unlike Takeda, Ukita's eyes only remained focused on the arena. The audience, as far as he was concerned, did not exist. Flaring his nostrils, Ukita grunted and smirked from one corner of his mouth. To him, a fifteen man battle was his idea of a good time.

**-0-0-**

His fight had not even begun and already Keitaro was in need of a medical clinic, or any kind of clinic… or in fact anyplace but here. As the remaining seven groups formed an orderly queue, Keitaro stood there, dead frozen and without a whisper. He, along with Mana and thirteen others, were placed in the eighth group, meaning a lengthy, grudging wait was in store for him.

Mana didn't know what to make of Keitaro's anxiety. She didn't want to offer him words of encouragement, since she knew Keitaro was no child in need of a babysitter. On the other hand, she didn't want to reprimand him, knowing she once nearly killed the poor guy during a 'friendly' spar.

The ringtone on her mobile phone silenced her thoughts. As she fished out the device, Mana came to a chilling realisation… she only had her phone switched off a few minutes ago.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the screen.

Beautiful, ruby red eyes illuminated with her ghostly visage. Upon seeing Mana, she beamed a perfect eye smile and waved frantically to her. Mana was in a world of disbelief, which was saying something what with all the unnatural occurrences she encountered in her life.

One of Masayoshi's guards immediately detected the source of sound and pointed at Mana, causing Keitaro to turn around in confusion. "You there! Any kind of distraction from participants are strictly prohibited!"

Mana called out her reply. "It's extremely urgent!"

"Hmph, you have three minutes, any longer and you can consider yourself disqualified."

Mana nodded to the guard, now turning her attention towards a curious Keitaro. She preferred her actions to speak louder than words as she handed him her mobile phone. Still wondering what was going on, Keitaro slowly laid his hand out.

His eyes nearly bulged out of his glasses.

With an eye smile over her pale face, the girl on screen waved happily to her childhood friend.

**-0-0-**

Fourteen fighters stood around the giant circle, each one a good few metres apart from the people next to them. Some of them were extremely terrified since, like Keitaro, they have never competed in an official tournament before. Others showed confidence, or at least concealed their cowardice very well. However, the first two entries looked so relaxed, it was almost scary.

"Ha ha! This is quite the situation we got ourselves into, eh Ukita-kun?" Takeda said to Ukita, no doubt the two of them must have been good friends for some time. Takeda's voice could be best described as gentlemanly.

Ukita only grinned in response, as he bent his knees and readied himself into a lethal grappling position.

"**And finally, entry number fifteen, a black belt in martial arts karate, Mikoto Suo!"**

Unsurprisingly, the voices of men cheering easily towered the sound of women, especially since Mikoto was the first female to grace the fighting arena. Upon hearing the sound of male testosterone, she didn't know whether to sigh or roll her eyes, so she elected to do both. Despite this reaction, Mikoto seemed pretty focused and took her time completing the circle of fifteen. Tenma, of course, screamed her little heart out when she watched her college friend make an appearance.

Silence filled the air, all of them preparing themselves for bloody combat. Everyone had their own reasons to participate, whether it was fame, fortune, respect or maybe just a little recognition. Whatever their reasons, all of them were determined not to lose.

The audience were reduced to dull murmurs, waiting for the first match to begin.

Masayoshi looked at the arena with a fixed smile. "Ukita the Thrower and Takeda the Puncher… your students seem to have quite the reputation."

Hayato made a low chuckling sound through his nostrils. "A well earned reputation I might add. To them. this battle royal should be nothing more than a walk in the park!"

Takashi watched with dazzling eyes. To witness firsthand two of Hayato's students was nothing short of incredible. His pants were in danger of a major soilage.

Chiu raised her free arm high in the air… before striking it down with authority.

"**With everyone in play, begin battle royal round one!"**

The audience exploded into screams and other noises they would never make anywhere else. One of the fighters instantly made an impact as he ran headstrong towards Ukita. The amateur's plan was to shoulder tackle the tank unaware and force him out of the ring. Ukita grinned, watching his prey run blindly towards him, a careless fly buzzing into his web.

At once Ukita grappled his opponent and used all his body weight to hurl the unfortunate victim backwards, causing him to fly many feet away from the circle. There was a sound of a spine shattering when the first fighter crashed to the ground.

"Hah! That was kinda fun!" Ukita laughed aloud, showing no remorse for his opponent.

Time passed and the struggle for survival was well on the way. Intelligent tactics and fancy manoeuvres were tossed aside in favour for reckless attacks and slugging the closest opponent they could find. It didn't take long to realise Ukita was more than a match for anyone. Two fighters leapt blindly into the wrestler's line of sight, but even the double team failed to work. One was brutally shoved aside whilst the other found himself grabbed by the legs as Ukita swung his sorry carcass ten times before finally being released. The thrown opponent flew like the wind, and managed to collide with another fighter in mid flight. Both of them saw stars as they collapsed in a heap.

"That's three!" Ukita counted. "C'mon boxing legacy you're lagging behind!"

Takeda was way too smart to challenge his muscular bound friend. He took five casual steps to stand alongside him.

"I guess you're right." He sighed. "Maybe I'm getting too old for this…"

"Uh… you're twenty four…" Ukita reminded him.

During this conversation, four fighters approached the two, their combined battle cries emitting fear to anyone inexperienced.

Four blows, faster than sound blasted into four undefended faces, bringing them all to the floor in less than a second.

"Oh dear, I hope I didn't hit them _too _hard." Takeda said as he witnessed the sudden onslaught in front of him.

Ukita growled, pissed off at the way Takeda showed him up. "I hate you."

Somewhere in the brawl, Mikoto was having a hard time fending off everyone around her, but still managed to remain calm. For the past few years Mikoto has trained rigorously with her childhood friend Hanai, and it was his teaching that allowed her to rise to the highest rank in karate. She proved this achievement by cracking an opponents jaw with a straight arm punch. He desperately tried to struggle back up, but the sharp twinge of pain forced him on the ground again, making it clear he was unable to continue. Everyone who was once near Mikoto wisely took a few steps back.

Despite Mikoto's impressiveness, it was clear that Takeda and Ukita took control of the battle royal. Ukita had lost count how many people he eliminated, but the ever increasing grin on his face showed that he didn't care anymore. The opposition, to him, were nothing more than skittles waiting to be bowled over. Takeda, meanwhile, was toying with his attackers, making them dizzy by dancing fluently, and then punching them in the gut whilst they were preoccupied in confusion.

In the centre of the arena, Takeda then struck an amazing uppercut to his final opponent, sending him flying in way Taishi was at the demonstration match. However, instead of the poor victim landing on the ground, he was caught, rather suddenly by the hands of Ukita, who easily turned his body upside down, and pile-drived his head with a heinous crunch.

Although the audience were still screaming and cheering… the arena dulled to a near silence. When the dust settled, only Ukita, Takeda and Mikoto remained. Side by side, the boxer and the wrestler watched the female fighter, who was only a few metres away from them.

Takeda breathed a lingering sigh. "Well this is bothersome. I don't really want to lay my hands on someone so… beautiful…"

"Yeah… but you're wearing boxing gloves…" Ukita grunted a reply.

"Uh… ah yes! Touché! But even so…"

"Heh heh…" Ukita grinned, approaching the girl in a way a lion would play with a mouse. Mikoto warily took several large steps backwards. "…man or woman, they're all just fodder for my throwing techniques!"

Kicking forward an extra gear, Ukita ran like a savage bear, his arms sprung and ready to launch his final attack. However, he was surprised when his hands met nothing but thin air. The shocked audience watched Mikoto as she gracefully spun half circle, now facing the back of him. Mikoto, so far, was the only person to use the arena to her advantage. She had cunningly lured him into a simple, but effective trap. Before Ukita could react, Mikoto charged into him with a full on shoulder tackle, not a move one would expect from a karate textbook. Ukita grunted as he staggered from the collision… only to realise he had been forced out of the arena.

Chiu was back on the spotlight, her voice nearly dry at having witnessed a spectacular performance.

"**Ladies and gentleman! The first battle royal has been decided! The winners are Mikoto Suo and Takeda Ikki!"**

Ukita was more than a little angry after being outsmarted, but afterwards admitted defeat.

"Good luck." He muttered to Mikoto, which, coming from him was quite the complement.

Mikoto, at the least, was expecting Takeda to be surprised. Instead, the boxer threw back his arms and laughed at Ukita's misfortune. "Ha ha! That was pretty slick honey, but don't expect to pull something like that on me!"

"Just try not to blink." Mikoto taunted, folding her arms. "Or you might find my fist lodged inside your gut!"

"Ha! We shall see!"

Hayato remained standing still, his stern eyes taking in everything the first battle had to offer. _"Ukita-kun, there is a fine line between confidence and cockiness. I hope this has taught you a valuable lesson."_

**-0-0-**

There was a short break before the second battle, allowing time for the workmen to clean up and prepare the arena beforehand. A few of the more unfortunate fighters found themselves carried off with a stretcher, but luckily their injures were not life threatening. As for the winners, they appeared to be escorted to another location.

Seven groups remained, and Keitaro watched the second group move onwards. Among the warriors was Diamonji, who stood taller and broader than everyone around him. It wasn't difficult to spot the guy, Keitaro could even feel his aura radiating with a desire to crush anybody getting in his way. Also present was Harima, who was very calm natured despite his threatening appearance.

Before Keitaro could delve deeper into his thoughts, the second group had already made their way towards the arena. He took his attention away for a second… and already… they were gone.

**-0-0-**

Wearing his best suit and tie, Kentaro watched the tournament slowly unfold. He was seated so he could have the perfect view of the arena, plus he also booked many seats around him since he admired his own privacy. Kentaro glanced to the left and right, turning his nose up in disgust. The fact that he had to share company with, what he deemed as low class mongrels, nearly offended him, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so he allowed the exception to sit with such filth.

He watched the tournament for two reasons.

The first reason could be described in two words, Keitaro Urashima. The two of them were complete opposites to each other… and that's what intrigued Kentaro to watch the tournament. After all, Kentaro was a rich, successful businessman with a vast intellect and a charming personality… though the latter was just a mask to shield his real face. On the other hand, Keitaro was a zero. In high school, all his grades were average varying to poor, and he looked like a reject to boot. He couldn't get a date even if he bribed them with diamonds and pearls.

So it surprised Kentaro to see his 'old friend', soon to partake in one of the most toughest tournaments in Tokyo.

"_Keitaro…" _He thought, sneering. _"You have no idea what you have put yourself through. Whether you have been training or not is irrelevant. You will be tossed aside like the trash you are."_

…as for the second reason…

Kentaro noticed a large shadow darkening his body. The millionaire looked up to see a face all too familiar. The man had longish black hair, which was joined together with a neatly trimmed beard. He too wore a suit, as well as a belt which barely supported his rotund belly. His eyes were like Kentaro's, light brown… and tainted with sheer obnoxiousness.

"Father, glad you could make it." Kentaro greeted.

Daichi Sakata already acquired an air of distaste. "This better be worth it." He snorted. "I've been here five minutes and I'm already sick of this place."

To relax his nerves, Daichi withdrew a golden plated case from his jacket pocket. Inside were a few large cigars and a lighter.

Kentaro explained the situation as Daichi breathed out rings of smoke.

"…Diamonji eh?" Daichi grinned, showing sickly yellow teeth. "Sounds like a mean piece of work."

"He's our number one sponsor for our game, Karate Destruction." Kentaro informed. "Think about it, he could be our main character. All we have to do is watch the bodies fly, and we can rake in the cash like no tomorrow."

"Even so, can he make it to the end? Keep in mind not all of our opponents will be pathetic whelps."

Kentaro smirked as he secretly showed a set of small injection needles from a velvet box. "Purchased these from a corrupted special forces agent. These babies boost the users physicality by one hundred and fifty percent. What's more, they're absolutely discrete… leaving no trace of sight and scent… undetectable by every method known to man."

"Well… it appears like you have invested a lot of money to see this through." Daichi theorised, chomping on his cigar.

"Wasn't it you that told me 'you have to spend money to make money'?"

"Yes, but this seems more of a careless gamble. If he screws up…"

"I assure you I have everything under control."

"I hope so because I would hate to… disown my only son."

Normally Kentaro was a calm, collective sort of guy, but those last words made him shudder to the bone. _"You're joking… right?"_

"**Entry number twenty. Proud sponsor of the console fighting game, Karate Destruction… Diamonji Imou."**

Daichi focused his attention on the arena. Already five people positioned themselves ready, including Kentaro's money making goliath.

"Ah… speak of the devil…"

**-0-0-**

Chiu made no effort to sound enthusiastic when she announced the name of the very man who treated her like mud. She was even more disgusted when she heard this cruel excuse was going to be a proud sponsor of a game she play tested long hours with. It made her feel that working for Star Rock was a complete waste of energy.

"_Kentaro and Daichi, you two have stooped lower than I imagined. You completely disregard the quality of the game, and further abolish it by having a stupid ogre as your main sponsorship. It seems like your games are nothing but gold pots to satisfy your monthly wages."_

Nearly forgetting her primary role, Chiu proceeded to announce the remainder of the competition, with the last fighter being entry number thirty, Harima Kenji.

Daichi and Kentaro watched the match with unwavering eyes. Should Diamonji find himself knocked out this early, Kentaro may as well kiss his financial career goodbye.

It didn't take a veteran to realise Diamonji was the strongest. Naturally, nearly everyone attacked him, flailing fists around his muscular mid-section. With a tremendous roar, Diamonji scattered the opposition like wooden dolls. He then followed through his rage and pummelled anyone that dared to stand in his way. His face was sweating with excitement as he crushed the stomach of another helpless being. One minute had passed and already his body count was staggeringly high.

However, a small portion of the audience noticed that the dark haired delinquent was more than just holding his own. Harima didn't really have a chosen fighting style. Rather, he developed his own techniques instead. According to rumour, Harima took on eight gang members at once, and defeated them all without a scratch… just at the age of fifteen. Some say he used to live on the streets, which was how Harima experienced the harsh realities of city life, toughening himself along the way.

For the duration, Harima allowed his fists do the talking, only using his upper body to get the job done. After punching two people to the ground, Harima quickly looked up to see a psychotic troll like street punk, with pointy green hair and scars all over his torso. This madman ran manically towards his direction, but Harima remained cool and stood his ground. When the opportunity presented itself, Harima leapt and drove a right knee into the fighter's unsuspecting face, causing blood and teeth to fly in a graceless fashion. Harima's opponent was knocked out in a flash.

"Yeeha! You go Harima-kun!" Tenma screamed with the rest of the cheering. She then pointed at her sister's forehead. "Hey! Everyone! This is Harima-kun's girlfriend!"

Yakumo looked down with sheer embarrassment, her face giving a whole new meaning to the word 'red'. "Th-that's not true!" She protested softly.

Three minutes elapsed and already the arena was reduced from fifteen to two, but Diamonji and Harima were far from satisfied. Neglecting strategy, they both rushed and punched each other straight in the jaw. The double impact caused them to skid a good metre away from each other, both receiving a painful bruise in the process. The audience were amazed to see the two attackers take such a lethal blow.

Before more damaged was exchanged, Masayoshi retrieved a microphone and interrupted the battle. He didn't look too pleased.

"**Entry numbers twenty and thirty, the match is already over. Continue to fight and you shall both immediately be disqualified."**

At once Harima lowered his stance, but his eyes were still fixated on his opponent. Diamonji, however, was beet red with rage, desperately wanting to add the sunglasses wearer to his list of casualties.

A trickle of sweat ran down Kentaro's forehead. All his investments would be for nothing if the giant failed to control his bull-headed rage.

In the end Diamonji walked up to Harima's personal space and issued him a crude cutthroat gesture before the two of them were escorted away.

A lot of blood was spilled during the match, and many victims were instantly taken to the facility.

Diamonji made his presence known.

**-0-0-**

Her hazel eyes showed no evil, nor good. All the warriors around her felt excited, worried, tense and many other emotions. She felt nothing, not even the slightest shred of anything.

She stood there, motionless… waiting for the inevitable order.

Ten minutes later and the bodyguard voiced the command.

Entry number forty four, Catherine Jordan, walked to the arena, centralised in the third group.

**-0-0-**

Two guys, one tall and skinny, the other short and fat, simultaneously gorged into a hot dog filled with many disgusting looking sauces. The sound they made was like a giant hand squeezing a massive tomato.

"Mah, whea dare go'a sho sum haf na'ed chicks?" Haitani said, between mouthfuls of meat.

Shirai wiped the excess sauce from his face and belched. "Yeah! So far the only sexy one is Chiu… well there was that busty girl too, but it's not like she exposed herself or anything! What a rip!"

Chiu's amplified voice halted their argument. Just in time the duo watched a tall and attractive woman walk into the arena with graceful strides. Her clothing was a little exposing, but to Haitani and Shirai, it was more than enough. Quickly they chucked away their half eaten food in favour for something else.

"Digital camera ready?" Haitani asked.

Shirai grinned. "Digital camera ready!"

The third battle royal begun. With alarming speed, Catherine blurred to the dead centre of the arena. Before the match she discarded her old uniform in favour for a lighter alternative. Now she wore a camouflaged army vest and black jean shorts. Also her white hair was tied into a single ponytail, in case it would obscure her concentration.

"If any of you hope to stand a chance, you must all attack me at once."

Her voice was quiet, but nonetheless managed to attract everyone's attention. The circle consisted of hardened veterans, cutthroats and delinquents, whereas Catherine appeared to be the only one with a sense of discipline. Some felt offended with her words, whereas others simply grinned to themselves. They either thought Catherine enjoyed receiving pain, or she lacked a certain ability known as common sense.

One grotesque looking fighter looked at the guys to his left and right. They all nodded to each other and charged without warning.

Catherine's strength and dexterity… were swiftly brought into play.

A single palm thrust struck the torso of the man in the middle, but the resulting impact caused all three of them to fly straight into the ground. After the sickening crash, blood was gashing out of their mouths, obvious that medical treatment was needed.

Only the bloodthirsty cheered for her lightning execution. Others gasped aloud, or at the very least, watch on with deep concern.

Though hesitant, the remaining eleven ran to the middle with a solo thought… eliminate Catherine Jordan. The mysterious fighter continued to show no fear. Attack after attack, her long range thrusts struck home, each one stronger than the last. All the while, she had not moved her legs an inch. Her upper body and arms reacted according to the situation, leaving no trace of error in her wake.

…

…

…

Ironically… the match lasted forty four seconds.

…

…

The bodies piled up around her. One fighter tried desperately to climb back on his feet, but in the end his legs gave way, and he finally surrendered to gravity.

…

"**The third battle royal has been decided. The winner is Catherine Jordan."**

Chiu slowly lowered her microphone, pale faced and overcome with fear. Never had she witnessed such a tragedy, especially one which was so nearby to her. The only thought running in her mind was thank goodness the medical facilities were only a short distance away.

Taishi, Yue, Masayoshi and Hayato also remained silent. It was only Hayato's abrupt coughing that brought the principal to attention.

"Masayoshi-san, may I have a private word with you?" Hayato asked.

Masayoshi slowly nodded a reply. "Yeah… of course."

**-0-0-**

Due to Masayoshi's absence, a joint decision by Taishi and Chiu was made. Since Catherine quickly diminished the opposition of the previous battle, three survivors were allowed to proceed in the match to follow. Hopefully this time, there won't be anybody as dangerous as her.

Once the defeated were hurried away for medical assistance, no more time was wasted. Chiu had to force out her inner trauma and continue to announce the next participants.

For the first five minutes, battle four failed to produce any kind of thrilling excitement, unlike the previous battles anyway. With their skill levels more or less the same, anybody had an equal opportunity of winning… that is until three karate students decided to make their skills shine. These fighters all wore traditional martial arts outfits, but with the exception of a logo resembling a fist drenched in blood, placed on the top right of their clothing. Individually they showed talent, but as a team they were untouchable. The small group compromised each others strengths and weaknesses to the fullest degree, and the match ended with a triple straight punch to a most unfortunate amateur wrester, leaving the three left to claim their victory.

Chiu's eyes lit up the moment she watched Mei enter the fifth battle. Distant memories of seeing the small girl inside the train only felt like yesterday. At first glance, Chiu was envious of her custom designed sailor girl outfit, and wondered if she made it all by herself. In all seriousness though, she admitted it was good to see her again. Out of all the people she met, Mei was one of the few who wasn't overflowing with insanity. Dare she would think it, Mei might even be… normal.

"_Everyone else is twice as tall as her." _Chiu thought. _"Hope she will be okay…"_

Chiu signalled the match to begin. Once again, war was unleashed.

Mei didn't fare so well during the early stages of the fight. Her small statue looked as though it could only sustain so much damage. It could only take a few well placed blows, and Mei would be down for the count.

Sickly smiles surrounded her. Male fighters of varying sizes, decided to take a cruel delight picking on people weaker than themselves, and Mei was no exception. As fortune would have it, Mei was a very evasive karate fighter, sidestepping quickly to avoid trouble.

However, with the exception of a few, everyone seemed to have taken a very dim witted view of the arena… or they would had realised the ferociousness of one Hyozanryu, a dangerous looking opponent who clearly specialised in sumo wrestling, given his gargantuan height and weight. He had short, beige hair, dark eyes and wore an ornate black and blue outfit. Currently, Hyozanryu was sweeping the arena clean, single handily slapping opponents away.

The audience watched on when fifteen were once again reduced to a small number. A bulky, spiky haired karate student named Guarda was present, and he too wore the bloodied fist logo. The other two were Mei and of course, Hyozanryu. Mei was on her last ounce of stamina and needed a way to buy time. Fortunately Guarda provided that time as he charged right into the large sumo sized target. He was certainly brave, if a little reckless.

Hyozanryu laughed and battered Guarda across the face with his right arm, sending him crashing back to the centre of the arena. This would have knocked a lesser man out, but Guarda showed resilience of his own, struggling to get back on his feet.

Chiu showed much concern for her short friend, inwardly begging her to yield rather than be squashed flat from a man ten times her size.

"Now it's my turn!" Mei declared. Hearing those words, Chiu nearly stumbled over in shock!

The sumo stood there with hands on his hips. "HA! TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT KID!"

There was a pause of silence from the crowd. Mei drove her clenched fist straight into the sumo's stomach. Hyozanryu, as well as everyone else, were all expecting to see Mei bounce off like a trampoline.

What they never anticipated… was the sumo to be sent miles into the air. The impact was catastrophically surreal. Hyozanryu's face was priceless, bulged eyes nearly escaping from their sockets. So far in his sumo career, nobody had bested him in battle, and there was, lifted into the sky like a rocket.

Mei Narusegawa… had the strength of a God.

Chiu didn't have time to contemplate her thoughts, but couldn't help saying 'wow… just wow'.

"**A-AMAZING! Mei Narusegawa crushed the competition with incredible strength! The winners of battle royal five are Guarda Tanatru and Mei Nar… OH MY GOD! TAISHI-KUN! YUE-CHAN! LOOK OUT!"**

Hearing the sudden scream, Taishi and Yue looked into the sky and noticed a meteor sized sumo shadow enveloping them. Taishi, with lashings of drama, pushed Yue to one side, but alas, could not save himself from impending doom. It was a miracle he survived, given a mass, fleshy lard just flattened him.

"Hey… that… reminds me!" Taishi said, completely battered with one arm in the air. "I wonder if they… have pancake day in Japan?!"

**-0-0-**

Hanai finally made his appearance, and his patience and calm attitude rewarded him well throughout battle six. Not only was he strong but very intelligent, keeping a level head and more importantly, remaining near the centre of the arena. His mid range, straight punches were his preferred weapon of choice, and many were unlucky enough to meet the receiving end of his fist. He was also wise enough to stay out of the bigger piles, preferring to let them eliminate themselves.

Hanai, to put it simply, was a karate machine, one that was incapable of rusting.

In under four minutes, Hanai was left the victor, along with another karate student who wore a grey outfit with a large yin-yan symbol stitched on his back. He seemed to keep himself very elusive, for now at least.

Hanai tilted his head upwards and pushed back his glasses, ignoring the cheering from the crowds. Already he seemed prepared for his next fight.

**-0-0-**

…

…

Time was toying with his mind.

…

…

Keitaro wanted to get the battle royal over and done with… yet he also wanted to run back to Hinata-Sou, where it was so peaceful and quiet. His mind was stretched around and moulded into impossible shapes and sizes. His face turned faint… which then formed into a distinct shade of green.

His urge to scream… the desire to yell…

Keitaro rose his hand in the air and shouted so loudly it alerted everyone in the vicinity.

"EXCUSE ME SIR! I NEED TO USE THE RESTROOM!"

Keitaro's group looked at him like a five year old school boy.

Whilst one bodyguard escorted group seven, another walked to face the distressed Urashima. "You do realise when your group leaves…"

"YEAH! I'LL BE DISQUALIFIED I KNOW!"

"Then go."

Without a chance to reconsider, Keitaro ran for the nearest restroom he could find, living behind his group and a concerned looking Mana Tatsumiya.

**-0-0-**

As soon as the door was closed behind him, Keitaro found the closest sink and proceeded to spill a portion of his stomach lining. Blinded by tears he sobbed all of his frustration just before it could crush him on the inside.

"Why… why is this happening to me? Why?"

"Hey there nephew."

Keitaro looked at the mirror. It showed the reflection of not he, but of a woman he knew too well. She had the perfect alliance of beauty and maturity.

"A-Aunty?" Keitaro asked. The sick must have made him feel delirious.

Haruka smiled as her relaxed eyes met his. "You have grown up so much since I last left you."

No. Keitaro didn't want this. Not some silly trip down memory lane. Alas… the previous years forced into his mind… and Keitaro was infuriated.

"Why didn't you tell me Sayo-san was dead?" He nearly bellowed, shattering his aunt with a fierce blow. All of his feelings erupted at the worst possible time. "Why did she have to go? We could have lived a happy life together… my life has been worthless… I need… aunty I need… help me…"

With anger gradually diminishing, he punched weakly at the wall, smearing blood stains from his knuckles.

"No… this is nobody's fault but my own… it… it was my decision to enter after all… …heh … crap… Urashima… what the hell have you got yourself into…?"

Time was passing on.

**-0-0-**

Although it appeared to be an error of judgement, one youthful kick boxer made the worst possible mistake he could make in his fighting career. It was an action only the crazy or suicidal would dare try.

He touched Takane Goodman's right breast. With his face.

"Woah! Easy there ma'am! I'm not that sort of guy! I'm… I'm AAAAAH!"

Takane was merciless, already shortening his livelihood by grasping his head. "Don't… touch… the puppies…"

With one arm, the psychotic blonde tossed him aside like garbage, effectively eliminating him in the process.

"Hey! That's my boyfriend you bitch!"

From the corner of her eye, Takane noticed another kick boxer, this one being female and fire-like in temper. With revenge in mind, the girlfriend aimed for a spinning left foot across Takane's face, hopefully putting her out of action for good.

However, the second Takane turned around, the girl froze in terror.

Takane's face was a demonic red, and her eyes resembled two black opaque spheres.

"**D**_**i**_**D y**_**O**_**u Ju**_**S**_**t **_**c**_**All m**_**E**_**… a Bi**_**T**_**cH…?"**

Takane eliminated her opponent rather easily… because the female kick boxer… fainted dead away.

With the seventh round at an end, Takane Goodman and Ryota Haken, a level headed martial artist, both made it through without so much as a mark on them. Well, except a vague head print on somebody's breast.

**-0-0-**

"Okay sweethearts!" The bodyguard announced in a drill sergeant fashion. "It's your time to shine so get out there and give them hell!"

"About fucking time." A broad looking fighter grumbled, his legs aching from his delayed wait.

Alerting Mana's conscience were the footsteps of Keitaro Urashima. She breathed a silent sigh of relief since Keitaro had at most a mere few seconds left before he was promptly ejected from the tournament.

"Dealing with your personal demons?" Whispered Mana as Keitaro jogged alongside her.

Keitaro paused to take a few breaths of much needed air.

"Yeah… you could say that."

**-0-0-**

"**Let's hear it for entry numbers 105 and 106, the legendary lady warriors from China, K****ū Fei and Chao Lingshen!"**

The crowd applauded when the two mentioned women arrived onto the stage, one of them waving cheerfully at the people whilst the other simply smiled as she soaked in her surroundings.

On the left stood Kū Fei who was quite short in stature, but possessed an amazing amount of confidence. She had slightly tanned skin, sandy blonde hair and piercing green eyes, presenting a mystical charm about herself. Kū Fei wore a pretty, short sized floral dress, which was coloured yellow and black, as well as a pair chaco-sandals on her feet. Despite showing wisdom and maturity, she was only sixteen years old.

Chao Lingshen, aged eighteen, was the epitome of a Chinese beauty. Her skin was as pale as moonlight, which complimented well with her black hair and brown eyes. Her slender height was typical for most women, which made her noticeably taller than Kū Fei. She, much like her friend, wore the same type of sandals and a similar styled dress, only its colours were a blend of red and white.

Chao and Kū Fei had their hair tied up in an elegant chignon fashion, both deciding to use cotton crafted balls to further enhance this style.

Even as she smiled, Chao appeared to be quite nervous. "Ah, remind us why we are wearing such outfits? It seems a little inappropriate… _and the wind is blowing right through me…_"

"No sense!" Answered Kū Fei, her voice a little louder than most. "Wear dress make appeal to men good which then make you popular!"

Unfortunately, Kū Fei wasn't very adept at linking certain words together.

**-0-0-**

At last Haitani and Shirai had reason to cheer, and with two cute ladies entering the scene, who could blame them? They had to admit life was now blissful. Cleavages, people kicking the crap out of each other… and popcorn. Today, they were proud to be slobs.

…

…

Makie slurped the straw inside her bottle of coke. On the whole she was thrilled with all the fights, whilst constantly teasing Yuna's sudden developed affection for Takeda.

"Okay I admit I'm in love with Takeda-san the same way you're in love with Keitaro-kun…" Yuna closed her eyes, trying to negotiate a peaceful settlement.

"Ha! Well okay I… WAIT A MINUTE! I don't love Senpai! I _like _him… not love him!"

"Okay, you like, kissed him?"

"Yes! I kissed him because I like him!"

"You're my friend right? That means… you like me… does that mean you would kiss me?"

"YUNA-CHAN! Stop being so weird!"

"Aw come on! Just a wickle peck…"

"Get off me!"

Suddenly, Yuna and Makie stopped in their tracks, possibly due to a circle of teenage guys staring at them with fascination.

"Nothing to see here people." Makie assured.

"Yeah move along." Yuna groaned.

"…oh and Ako-chan?" Makie added. "You can open your eyes now, the match won't start for another five minutes.

Ako had her eyes shut for so long, people wondered if she was a heavy sleeper. Reluctantly, she allowed light into her vision and observed the latest participants.

"Maybe inviting Ako-chan wasn't such a great idea." Yuna theorised.

…

…

Haruna's seat was mostly unoccupied, possibly because she was either standing up or jumping for joy. Even after seven battle royals, Haruna was still full of life, as was Konoka who was more than happy to take a small part in this event. As for Nodoka, she was frantically reading a book titled 'How to escape from a dire situation'. It was safe to say mauling people half to death was not her idea of entertainment.

…

…

At last, Masayoshi and Hayato returned to the reserved area, and the principal was the first to notice Taishi covered head to toe in plaster. The only parts of him that were not bandaged were his punk green hair and sunglasses. Even his eyes were covered up, making it a wonder why he still insisted on wearing his glasses.

"Wh… what the hell happened to you?!" Masayoshi asked, clearly surprised.

"Mummamuumpf!" Was Taishi's muffled reply.

"He said an oversized sumo descended from the heavens, and squashed him into the lands of the abyss." Yue translated, casually slurping her drink afterwards.

"You understood what he said?" The principal asked again.

"No, but I figured he would say something along those lines."

"…yeah, you're probably right."

Slowly Hayato approached Yue and lowered himself to her level. "So little lady, enjoying the tournament?"

"I already told you not to call me that." Yue said.

"Ah… ah yes. Forgive me."

Yue now focused her attention to the arena, which soon afterwards caused Masayoshi and Hayato to follow her lead. Taishi was facing the opposite way, but since he was blinded by plaster that didn't seem to matter.

Yue blinked, easily recognising the next participant to greet the arena.

"**Give it up for entry number 112, the mysterious beauty Mana Tatsumiya!" **Chiu called out, with much delight. _"Heh… I'm sure Keitaro and the others are cheering her from the sidelines…"_

"OH YEAH! MANA'S GONNA SO KICK ASS!" Cheered Haitani. "And DAMN! She looks so fine in white leather!"

"Uh… question? Why are we cheering for somebody who quite clearly despises us?" Shirai asked, between mouthfuls of popcorn.

Haitani's answer was very accurate. "Well in case you hadn't realised, the entire girl population in Tokyo despise us as well!"

"Ah… oh yeah! GO MANA!" Shirai now cheered alongside his buddy.

Of course Makie and Yuna were cheering as loudly as they could manage, and even Ako called out 'Do your best!' albeit a little quietly.

And Haruna was mentioning something to nearby strangers. Something about Mana having a girlfriend…

Having received a decent ovation, Mana waited patiently in the circle. Chao and Kū Fei eyed her suspiciously. From sight alone, they could tell Mana was going to be a dangerous opponent.

Meanwhile, Yue obtained the attention of the principal. "…so that must mean Keitaro-san is in the final group."

"You know of Keitaro?" Masayoshi asked.

"Yeah, I live with him." Yue replied.

"_You two are…together?!" _Masayoshi thought, but refrained himself from intruding.

There was a slight pause when the principal decided to speak again.

"I was quite surprised when I heard how he took on that Diamonji freak. He's changed a lot since I last saw him, psychically and mentally."

Chiu briefly checked her cue card, trying her best to remember the final battle royal entries. Frowning, she checked again…

…either somebody had the same name as him… or Chiu was in for the biggest surprise in her life.

Sure enough, her eyes did not deceive her. Keitaro, trying hard to mask his emotions, walked boldly into the arena, making sure not to stare into the eyes of bodybuilders and other warriors twice his height. Also, he strictly avoided any visual contact with the audience, knowing even the slightest glance would freeze him to the ground. Even so, there was no chance of avoiding the overall ambience. It was more than loud enough to devour the poor rookie. It appeared half his battle was hell bent on concentration, the desire not to be overcome with fear.

"_Kei…taro?"_

Chiu promptly cleared her throat, bringing the microphone to her lips once more. **"Entry number 113, let us give a warm welcome to… ah, the martial artist in green! Keitaro Urashima!"**

The audience looked down and judged Keitaro's presence. Needless to say, there was a blend of reactions going through each of them. Some applauded as normal, since they had an unbiased view for every participant. Others… felt confused, even slightly offended, wondering how someone like him was even allowed in such an event. Thankfully Keitaro didn't take too much notice, or he would have realised a sound of dissatisfaction filling the air.

A few people even vaguely recalled his name, causing certain rumours to spread…

"Urashima?" Someone thought aloud, scratching his head. "Didn't I used to bully him when I was younger?"

Two teenage girls whispered amongst themselves. "He's the guy who stopped that muscular freak at the Chiu convention."

"What?! No way!"

"I'm serious! I saw it with my own two eyes!"

Then an angry woman in her thirties stood up with fiery anger. "I know him! He's the one who pulled down my skirt two years ago!"

"Hush dear, you're making a scene." Her husband replied, trying to calm her down. "Like you said, that was two years ago."

"Hmph! It was still humiliating!"

…

"Ha ha! Check it out!" Haitani laughed. "That guy has the exact same name as our pal!"

Shirai joined in the laughing, but then an unearthly presence struck both of them. Together they used the zoom feature on their cameras. Sure enough it wasn't their imagination.

They looked at each other with disbelieving faces. "It _is _him…" They spoke together.

Reality was an anvil which dropped onto their skulls.

"…WHAT THE FUCK IS _HE _DOING THERE?!"

…

…

Makie, Ako and Yuna had a similar reaction, only without the swearing. Makie's face was of pure shock, her eyes fixated on Senpai. All her thoughts and feelings spiralled out of control. There was nothing she could do but watch… and pray for his safety.

…

…

Daichi watched as others accompanied the circle. "Ah I heard of this Keitaro… your old school friend was he not?"

Kentaro's face turned strictly sour. "Let's just say we have our differences… _Keitaro, if you're lucky, you will be eliminated faster than a blink of an eye… if I'm lucky, you will be repeatedly beaten to a bloody pulp. Either way, you don't stand a chance."_

…

…

Yue, Hayato and Masayoshi watched on expectantly, wondering what Keitaro could achieve, if he was capable of any achievement. The tension was strong enough for Yue to stop drinking.

"_Good luck Keitaro-san." _The blunette thought, sincerely wishing him the very best.

…

…

Finally the flow of uncertainty finished back to the internet idol. When realising Keitaro was taking part, she didn't blitz around like she thought she would have. Rather, Chiu remained calm and professional. It was a… strange sensation seeing Keitaro like this… and when the final group was ready, manager-san clearly showed that he wasn't going to joke around. Saving her from Diamonji was one thing, but now… her respect for Keitaro continued to grow.

She didn't care whether Keitaro would win or lose… she just didn't want to see him hurt.

With a slight tremble in her right arm, Chiu raised the microphone high in the air.

"**Now… with everyone ready… may the final battle royal… BEGIN!"**

**-0-0-**

Already Keitaro and Mana rushed to the centre, unaware they were mimicking Catherine's strategy earlier on. They concluded it was the best possible move they could make given the situation. Should they remain where they were, chances are they could have been forced out of the arena circle, and there was no way either of them wanted to lose that quickly.

Manager and resident stood back to back, eying their selected opposition.

"Nice move." Keitaro said softly.

Mana made a tiny smile. "Likewise."

Group eight was without a doubt the fiercest bunch of veterans one could lay their eyes upon. All the male fighters stood at least six foot five… one of them even towering Hayato's height! Their exposed muscles revealed many scratches and scars, souvenirs from previous struggles they encountered. Ultimate fighters tightened their fists, itching to swing at the nearest prey. Karate warriors surveyed the scene, looking for fastest way to incapacitate opponents. A middleweight kick boxer already surrounded himself with fancy footwork, creating a defensive aura around him.

The three female fighters were, of course, already identified.

Two warriors charged into Mana, but the amazon blasted them with a double palm thrust, emitting a glowing whiteness from each hand. Another four decided to form a plan, and tried to take it in turns to weaken her before moving in for the kill. Should they find themselves in need of aid, they would retreat a few steps and allow a fresher person to take his place. Unlike the stubbornness possessed by other fighters, these guys _knew _Mana was strong.

Not only were they ruthless, but also significantly cunning.

Mana grinned sinisterly. She enjoyed a challenge…

Behind Mana, Keitaro remained in his spot, his head turning swiftly left and right for any signs of trouble. For a short while he was ignored. Nobody showed a keen interest in him… yet…

He watched Chao make a mockery of the contest, eliminating two already with a deadly collection of blows and kicks. Her movements were poised and dignified, and her attack patterns were very complicated to understand. Kū Fei annihilated another with a vicious cross-chop, but then found herself surrounded. She was going to be busy for some time.

Chao then tiled her chin, spotting a certain someone with scruffy black hair and rectangular glasses. The corners of her mouth lifted.

Keitaro gulped. Their eyes met, and it wasn't love at first sight.

Instead of panicking, Keitaro studied her movement. The first rule Mana taught him was to focus on their strengths and weaknesses rather than just his own. From first sight Chao appeared to have a frail appearance, but fancy footwork and quick thinking overruled this possible limitation. Keitaro also noticed that Chao mostly used her legs and feet for fighting with, so he lowered his stance and shielded his upper body.

Keitaro however, didn't realise just _how _strong Chao was…

The lady in red blurred to Keitaro's position, her sandals leaving a trail of smouldering smoke. In a breath she swung her hips full circle, and delivered a devastating roundhouse across his face, penetrating all defences in the process. Fortunately, the velocity of her move caused Keitaro to spin his body vertically, thus causing him to land face first in the same spot as before… if such a thing was regarded as fortune.

Chao took a step back, shocked to see Keitaro struggling to get back on his feet. As far as she was concerned, he shouldn't be struggling at all.

A few seconds later and he was standing upright again, but the lethal kick caused him to stagger.

In a drunken haze, it was then Keitaro's turn to fight back.

He lunged a straight arm thrust at a still surprised Chao, but instead of going for her stomach, his right hand managed to… grasp the top section of her clothing. Still unsure what he was doing, Keitaro, with a sharp pull, effortlessly tore aware her dress and bra! Keitaro slowly looked at the clothing in his hand. A beautiful, expensive floral dress, now completely ruined and worthless.

The ambience of male audience had somewhat accumulated in volume. Even the veteran warriors were distracted with her near naked figure.

As for Chao, she had the look that suggested somebody deflowered her with a crowbar.

Keitaro waved his arms in tremendous panic, with the dress and bra still attached to his hand. "OH GOD I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT! I'M SO SORRY! REALLY, SO REALLY, REALLY SORRY!"

Chao took steady, deep breaths, but the humiliation proved too much for her. She smacked Keitaro across the face for good measure.

"YOU REPULSIVE SNAKE!" She screamed with angry tears. Without wasting another moment, she ran straight out of the arena and headed for the nearest clothes store… all the while holding her breasts so nobody could see them again.

Finishing off three opponents, Kū Fei wondered what the commotion was all about. She then noticed Chao's clothing attached to Keitaro's hand.

"Uh…" was all Keitaro could say, unconsciously dropping the remains of Chao.

Kū Fei pointed at him with superior authority. "You! Nasty green pervert! Kū Fei will end your vile ways!"

"Oh crud." Keitaro whimpered.

A roaring white flame engulfed her as she used every ounce of her ki energy. Her motives were pure and simple, launch one body shattering attack.

"I COME AT YOU FULL FORCE!"

Reflexes alone caused Keitaro to lay immediately to the floor. With the palm of her hand Kū Fei launched an unnaturally devastating laser blast which missed Keitaro's back by a mere few inches! The blast was powerful enough to bore a monstrous hole into one of the arena walls.

Even though it missed, Keitaro still felt like his back was on fire.

Drawing breath, Kū Fei prepared for her next attack, making sure she wouldn't miss this time. Keitaro managed to rise to his feet, but instead of counterattacking, his left hand unknowingly grabbed a lengthy piece of string attached to Kū Fei's sleeve. Not realising the consequences, Keitaro tried to break off the string, but somehow only made it longer.

Kū Fei seemed perplexed at the situation, observing Keitaro's weird movement with a confused 'huh?'.

With a swift yank, Keitaro pulled the ever extending string, which alarmingly, spun a now screaming Chinese yoyo into a group of other fighters, bowling any over who stood in her warpath. Kū Fei herself staggered out of the arena with swirls in her eyes, not noticing her dress was now just a pile of loose thread. Also, bear bra and panties just didn't feel… compatible for a woman of her calibre.

The male audience grew even louder than before.

Still dazed, an almost nude Kū Fei staggered her way towards Chiu's direction, much to her distaste.

"Woah! Woah! Stay back! Leave me out of this!" Ordered Chiu, but it was much too late.

Before she collapsed, Kū Fei viciously pulled down Chiu's costume, the skirt and t-shirt combination plummeting to her ankles. Also keep in mind her top was so tight, Chiu couldn't wear anything underneath, meaning she was now well and truly topless. With only her underpants and trainers, Chiu quickly crossed her arms to cover herself up… though deep down inside her, she knew some crazy Chiu fan had already taken a nipple shot to show on the internet.

The male audience were practically on their feet.

Masayoshi sagged his shoulders and stared at the perverse horror taking place. _"I hope the committee doesn't hear about this…"_

Keitaro then stared at Chiu. A semi-naked Chiu.

All the blood in his body rose to his head. His face was now a deep shade of purple.

Suddenly, vast amounts of blood streamed out of his nostrils, the red fluid landing into the eyes of a karate expert. He was blinded in an instant and howled in agony whilst waltzing right out of the arena.

Keitaro felt dizzy. He lost a lot of blood, though not in the way he anticipated.

He failed to show any residence as a colossus fist suddenly struck into his gut. Before long he collapsed backwards and found himself staring at the sky. A huge shadow made his world feel colder.

A gigantic heavyweight boxer, known as Tahak, loomed over him with a grim smile. He was bald and had a deep scar across his right eye. He wasn't a guy to talk big, but certainly backed up his silence with force. Keitaro tightly closed his eyes as Tahak brought his fist down for the kill.

Mana, after defeating her opponents, rushed to Keitaro's aid. Tahak's fist stopped one inch away from his throat, due to the amazon grabbing the largest man by the scruff of his neck. Mana's eyes transformed into its familiar, ghostly white colour. With Tahak being the last man standing, Mana struck him down with a single palm based attack, blasting the brute for six.

Keitaro was still lying on the ground, but at least he was awake. Mana walked over and knelled beside him, caressing his forehead and face. She was also wondering why Chiu hadn't declared the match to be over, but then realised the idol still had trouble putting on her outfit, much to the liking of her fans.

Keitaro barely smiled as he looked at Mana's sky blue eyes. "Have… have we won?!"

"HA HA! It ain't over yet!"

"_Huh…? Oh… there is… still one left…" _Keitaro softly groaned. _"If… ugh! If only… I had… the strength… … come on Urashima… show everyone what you are capable of… …get up… get… up…"_

Mana stood up and turned around. Opposite her was a guy wearing dark coloured denim slacks and a jacket to match. His black hair was spiky, and you could tell from a single glance that he specialised in street fighting. Apparently, everyone thought he was knocked out during the early stages of the fight, but later realised he was just feigning injury until the very last moment.

"Cunning, huh?" He bragged to himself. "All I have to do is devour the scraps and I'm done!"

Mana made a wicked smile. "You should have stayed down…"

"Hah! You don't know who you're messing with gal! I, Kaoru Gotokuji, will crush you and your boyfriend!"

Mana was expecting a quick hand to hand spar, but took a step back in surprise when a greyish ki appeared from Kaoru's right fist.

"…taste this! _**Super Final Technique: Bullet of Manliness!"**_

Kaoru punched the air and blasted a prism like wave from his knuckles. The bullet strike was much too fast to evade, so Mana stood her ground and blocked the impact with her arms. The pain was only moderate but the force nearly shifted herself out of the arena. She couldn't afford another hit like that, she had to formulise a strategy.

"Hah! This is fun!" Laughed Kaoru as he prepared for a second bullet attack…

…but the second attack never happened…

Keitaro soared through the arena. One handily, he grasped Kaoru's right fist and bent the rest of his arm vertically, allowing the wave of ki to shoot directly into the sky. Both of them stared at each other. Kaoru's eyes were stricken with fear, but Keitaro never looked more serious in all his life.

Disabled for a second, Keitaro seized the opportunity and, with his free hand, struck Kaoru's chest _hard_. The impact was astounding as Kaoru sailed through the air… before recklessly crashing on the back of his head. It wasn't long before he was seeing stars.

Keitaro looked at his own trembling hands, still amazed that he had the guts to run up to somebody and strike them down without remorse… and those crazy encounters with Chao and Kū Fei felt like hours had passed by.

The audience were cheering. Cheering for Mana, cheering for _him_. The feeling was utterly indescribable, but he still nonetheless closed his eyes and absorbed all the glory. He wished it could last forever.

Chiu, with her outfit now intact, stared at the situation with disbelieving eyes. Keitaro stood in the middle, surrounded by unconscious bodies. Keitaro and Mana… were both through to the next round.

Fumbling for her microphone, Chiu announced the winners in a spectacular style.

"**Ladies and gentleman! The final battle royal is over, and the victors are Mana Tatsumiya and… and Keitaro Urashima!"**

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

Meanwhile… two crying girls ran semi-naked together, exiting the tournament and running across the fields of Toudai Festival. Parents were quickly covering their children's vision, whilst guys of all ages couldn't believe their luck.

"Waaaaiii!" Screamed Chao. "I've never been so humiliated in all my life!"

"Look on bright side!" Kū Fei shouted. "Running fast is good source of training!"

Watching the two girls speed by, one middle-aged mum spoke her outrage to another mum nearby. "Honestly, is the principal running a tournament, or a strip show?!"

The other women looked equally as offended. "He should be ashamed of himself!"

xxXxx

…

…

_Author: A run down of the characters._

_Hayato Furinji, Takeda Ikki and Ukita Kozo are more characters from the anime/manga History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi._

_Kaoru Gotokuji is a character shown briefly in the Negima manga, volume 10._

_Catherine Jordan, in case you forgotten is an original character who made a small appearance in chapter 19._

_Hyozanryu and Tahak are both original characters, making very brief appearances in the battle royal._

_There are more characters to describe but I purposely left them out until the next chapter._

_Overall what did you think of this chapter? I've done a few action parts before, but nothing as immense as this. Oh yeah, I'm sure I've got the names and surnames of some people the wrong way round (is it Ikki Takeda or Takeda Ikki), but otherwise, I think everything else was executed okay._

_Oh and my deepest apologises to any Chao and __Kū Fei fans, who no doubt want to lynch me._

_See you next time!_


	24. Mind, Body, Spirit

**Chapter Twenty Four - Mind, Body, Spirit**

…

Keitaro carefully pushed the handle, allowing the door to creak open very slowly. He was welcomed with a full wave of conditioned air.

"Entry 113, this is where you will be staying for the duration of the tournament. The door to your right leads to the bathroom, which contains a standard functioning sink, bath, toilet and shower. Should you find yourself in need of food or drink, there is a microwave, water cooler and fridge filled with supplies."

Keitaro's main focus, however, was the twenty four inch widescreen television. Then again it was hard not to notice, given this luxury filled a good portion of his main room. Noting his interest, the bodyguard pressed a single button on a remote control, illuminating the screen with a familiar ambience. This time however, the arena was occupied with cheerleaders, dancers, acrobats and a whole range of other flamboyant performers.

"There is a one hour intermission, which will give you enough time to recuperate for your next match." The guard continued to speak. "After the hour, our special guests, Chiu-san and Taishi-san will randomly determine the matches for everyone participating. When your name is mentioned, one of us will escort you to the arena. There are also two rules you must follow… one, you are not allowed out of the building until we say otherwise. Two, you are prohibited from any kind of communication, which means you must hand me your mobile phone until the tournament ends. Are there any questions?"

Keitaro, absentmindedly handing over his phone, was still busy observing the surroundings; smooth, wooden floorboards, a comfortable sofa, a fridge full of food, a bathroom with shower, television entertainment… not to mention the cool air conditioning.

"Is this place really mine?" He asked, still taken back from the surprise.

The guard nodded. "For the duration of the tournament, yes. Even if you are eliminated, this place is yours to keep during this time."

A short delay of silence allowed the guard to speak again.

"Is there anything else you wish to ask me?"

"Um… no, I don't think so." Keitaro replied.

"Very good. Enjoy your stay.."

Keitaro heard the sound of the door closing behind him.

Ten minutes after he survived the battle royal, Keitaro Urashima and Mana Tatsumiya were escorted alongside a single bodyguard, which they were then separated and taken to a moderately sized looking building. These buildings were normally reserved for specific club activates, but during the festival, Masayoshi had taken the liberty to modify them into hotel-like houses. Naturally, the other fourteen participants must have been treated with the same hospitality as well.

Keitaro was more than impressed with his room, almost feeling the need to publicly thank the principal for such generosity. This, along with everything else happening during the previous few hours… for him it was a rush of adrenaline.

Although the intermission show on television was impressive, there was one objective in Keitaro's mind… one that overruled everything else.

**-0-0-**

Keitaro closed his eyes as he allowed the water to splash over his hair and body. He adjusted the temperature just right, and within minutes he was already revitalised. For a few minutes Keitaro attained the perfect peace.

After a much needed shower, he elected to get himself half ready, wearing only his underwear, jeans and vest. Drying his hair with a towel, he relaxed as he watched the entertaining events. It was certainly a pleasing spectacle, though he would love to watch it all from an audience perspective, especially with the residents sitting nearby him.

It felt strange. Keitaro, once upon a time, was used to being on his own for months. Now he had only been away from them a short duration, and already missed them terribly.

After a while, Chiu was interviewing a few random members of the audience, giving them their fifteen minutes of fame so to speak. Bodyguards were present too, otherwise the net idol would be bulldozed by a mass number of fanatics.

Keitaro watched on as Chiu interviewed the first fan she picked at random.

"**So what's your name sir?" **Chiu asked with the microphone.

"**HAITANI!" **Haitani blared out. Keitaro groaned. There were hundreds of people in the audience. Why _him_? He also watched Shirai sticking his tongue out and making a stupid peace sign.

"**Hi Haitani-kun, who would you like to see win the tournament?"**

"**MANA!" **Haitani roared out, seemingly oblivious to the microphone which already made his voice loud enough without shouting. **"BECAUSE SHE'S KICKASS IN COMBAT, AND SHE HAS REALLY BIG-"**

"**Okay, moving on!" **Chiu interrupted, withdrawing the microphone with inhuman speed. She, along with the guards, jogged her way to another section of the audience.

Keitaro watched everyone being taken under the microphone. His respect and admiration for her increased even more, if that were possible. He never thought she would be so bold as to approach ravenous packs of male carnivores, but she did and took everything that happened in her stride.

A lot of the people thought Catherine Jordan would win the tournament, and rightfully so since she practically dominated the battle royal. Diamonji was also a firm favourite, much to Keitaro's distaste, and so was Mana, attaining a lot of (mostly male) fans with her graceful yet lethal attacks. Mei's 'fist of god' won over a few fans as well, thinking her strength alone was enough to topple the contest.

All the fighters were at least mentioned once or twice… with the only exception being Keitaro himself. Though he felt a little downcast, he kind of knew it was to be expected. How he survived, especially with the elite duo of Chao and Kū Fei, was nothing out of extraordinary, but he figured the only way he received his ovation was because of his accidental perverted attacks. Nobody took him seriously as a fighter.

Whoever he was up against, Keitaro was sure to be faced with one hell of a challenge. After all, these were not just typical grunts with a killer instinct, these were dangerous competitors who took themselves very, _very _seriously…

**-0-0-**

"How many faces do you see on the screen?" The television spoke, in a girly sing song kind of way.

Harima, in his own room, just discovered he could change the channels, and was now watching a children's show with keen interest. Still sitting up, and still wearing his sunglasses, Harima concentrated hard. In fact, he had never concentrated so hard in all his life.

"There are four. There are four faces on the screen." Harima said in thought.

"Are you sure?" The television asked again, as if taunting him, beckoning him to guess again.

Harima lifted himself from the couch and sat straight on the floor, shuffling forward so he was only inches away from the screen. He counted the cartoon faces again, pointing each one with his finger.

"There are four. There are four faces on the screen." He said again.

"Look closer…"

"Huh?"

"Go on, look closer."

"Okay…"

Obeying the television, Harima pressed his nose on the screen.

"What about your reflection?"

"My reflection?"

"Yes, your reflection. Does that count as a face?"

Harima was taken back by this. _Seriously _taken back. "Yeah… yeah! I guess it does!"

"So how many faces are there now?"

"Fo… five!"

"That's right! One, two, three, four, five! There are five faces on the screen!"

Harima jumped up with excitement. If his eyes were revealed, they would be replaced with yellow glowing stars. "WOW! THAT'S SO CLEVER!"

**-0-0-**

Mikoto, with a childish eye smile, proceeded to tuck into her third bowl of ice cream. Suddenly, the guard opened her door and presented her with another ice cream desert. You see, Mikoto discovered that, save for the food in the fridge, you can also request room service…

"Here is your triple fudge coated ice cream with a cherry imported from Spain." The guard panted, presenting her the mentioned, sparkling ice cream in all its profound glory.

"Hmm?" Mikoto said between spoonfuls. "Did I say triple? I meant quadruple."

"Uh… ah… coming right away Mikoto-sama." The guard bowed, running back to exchange deserts. _"That woman is abusing her power."_

Yes, we can safely say Mikoto enjoyed being the slave driver.

**-0-0-**

Takane couldn't give a damn about the surroundings, nor did she care about the telly in front of her. Only the sound of death metal ringing out of her ipod held her interest. She screamed out the lyrics in the most unholiest of manners.

The guard opened the door, worried from all the noise.

"Madam, are you okay?" He asked.

Takane faced him with a ghostly expression. **"PISS. OFF."**

"At once madam!" The now frightened guard said as he quickly closed the door again.

**-0-0-**

"Yeah, they're going to be serious all right." Keitaro agreed with himself, tightening the belt of his martial arts outfit.

Keitaro however, tried his best not to think about his upcoming match. There was half an hour left before the matches were determined, so he relaxed a little by watching the telly, slowly drinking on a can of chilled orange juice from the fridge.

**-0-0-**

Meanwhile, Kentaro and Daichi were just outside Diamonji's place to stay. As usual, Daichi breathed smoke from one of his trademark cigars.

"I trust you gave him the…"

"Yes, and unnoticed I may add." Kentaro said, before his father could finish the sentence. "I requested him to take one only should he encounter a strong, challenging opponent… _Keitaro's friend and that army bitch spring to mind…"_

"Well… it seems like you have done everything according to plan…" Daichi theorised. "…since you are taking a huge gamble, allow me to take a risk for myself."

"What do you mean?" Kentaro asked.

"I mean depending on how well this 'Diamonji' character performs, allow me to offer you a proposition. Should you two make it to the final, consider your monthly salary to be trebled… if you make it to the semis your salary is doubled."

Kentaro tried to remain confident, but his father could easily see the cracks opening. "And what happens if he doesn't make it that far?"

Daichi narrowed his eyes, dropping the butt of his cigar and crushing it with his heel. "Then you _lose_ Kentaro. You lose your job, your income, your family name… you lose _everything_."

Kentaro stood quietly still, his future lying in the hands of his client. Daichi gently patted his son's shoulder before casually walking away.

"Now, as much as I love staying in a festival full of cockroaches, I have business to attend to."

**-0-0-**

In her own room, Mana lightly closed her eyes and began to relax, ignoring the quiet volume from the television. Despite her calm nature, a part of her could not forget the thoughts of her sparring friend. His fighting techniques during the battle royal were… questionable, but she knew for certain his strength, endurance and confidence have all increased dramatically.

In a way both of them exchanged personalities.

Mana agreed to herself that she was certainly more talkative than normal. At some extent, she had even enjoyed the company of others.

On instinct, both eyes opened.

Mana increased the volume on the remote. On screen showed a magnified section of the arena, with Chiu and Taishi standing in the centre. Taishi was carrying a large, plastic blue bucket, filled to the top with sixteen golden balls. Mana sighed when Taishi told Chiu to reach in and grab one of his massive balls, a joke which only the saddest of men would laugh at, or worse, fantasise about. Though inwardly wanting to punch the man into space, Chiu nonetheless complied with the offer. She dipped her hand inside and plucked out a single ball. The ball then found itself divided into two separate segments, which inside, contained a small piece of paper with the name of one of the sixteen survivors inside.

"_So the opposition will be selected at random." _Mana reminded herself, wondering which unfortunate victim will face her one on one.

Chiu read the sheet of paper. Anyone watching closely would have easily recognised her smile turning into a slight frown. **"The first selected competitor for this match… is Diamonji Imou…"**

Mana prayed his opponent would be her. She would love nothing better than to wipe the floor clean with that muscular oaf. She wouldn't even give him the opportunity to breathe.

There was a pause of suspense when Chiu carefully opened a second ball. Once Chiu read the contents, she almost gasped aloud.

"**The second selected competitor for this match… is Keitaro Urashima…"**

Mana's face was neither sympathising nor emphasising.

Keitaro would face Diamonji in the first match…

…and Mana would expect nothing less than a victory on his behalf.

Just thinking about Diamonji and Keitaro drained the energy away from her, but Chiu nonetheless proceeded with the task at hand. Not before long, every golden ball had been accounted for and the matches had been declared.

**-0-0-**

Not soon after Chiu announced the participants had the bodyguard banged on the door before letting himself in. Keitaro felt shivers in his spine. There was nowhere to escape.

It was the same bodyguard Keitaro had spoken to earlier. Now he looked even more serious than before.

"Entry 113, follow me to the arena."

Keitaro nodded solemnly and did as he was instructed. The door closed behind him and they walked side by side along the secure grassy fields to the arena. The wind felt noticeably cooler and the sky was much darker than before. With the disappearance of sunlight, the whole mood changed significantly.

As Keitaro contemplated the match, a tall man suddenly approached him and the guard, deliberately stopping them in their tracks. Keitaro's stomach growled with dissatisfaction. The last thing he wanted was to be interrupted.

The bodyguard was not normally one to hide his emotions, but now his face was clearly evident of anger.

"Entry eighty-eight." He shouted. "I don't know why you're out here, but if you don't return to your room…"

Entry eighty-eight tilted his rectangular glasses. "Forgive me, I will only take two seconds of his time."

Secretly, the bodyguard didn't want to disqualify anyone, in fear that the audience will be highly offended with the decision. Even so, he still had rules to comply with.

"You better make this quick, or I will call upon security to throw you out." He threatened.

"Thank you for your corporation." The man said. He then turned his attention towards Keitaro and offered his outstretched hand. "My name is Hanai Haruki."

Keitaro accepted the handshake. "Keitaro Urashima." He responded, somewhat lamely compared to Hanai.

"Okay, now that we officially know one another, let me offer you a simple piece of advice…"

The bodyguard and Keitaro looked at Hanai with curiosity.

"…forfeit the match."

"WHAT?! You cannot make those kind of demands!" The guard snapped.

Hanai ignored the guard and continued to speak. "After winning my fight, I took the liberty of watching your match as well. That you managed to win in such a way was no doubt some kind of divine miracle, but now is not the time to joke around. I'll be blunt… your opponent is stronger, tougher and more experienced than you will ever be. Forfeiting may appear to be an unsavoury option, but if you fight himself as you are, you, your friends and your family will be subjected to great turmoil."

Whilst the guard was still seething with rage, Keitaro lowered his head and began to think.

"You are not a loser, Urashima-san." Hanai continued. "You have the potential to become a great fighter some day, but right now you are too premature to face someone so dangerous. Make the right choice, don't throw your life away."

With a quiet sigh Keitaro looked down at the grass, contemplating what Hanai had said. He was right of course, if luck wasn't on his side, he wouldn't even be standing here having this conversation. Hanai certainly appeared to know what he was talking about. Keitaro could tell from the determination driven into his veins that Hanai had fought the best and won. Not only he, but others as well; Harima, Mikoto, Mei, Takane, Catherine, Mana and of course Diamonji… what chance would Keitaro stand against any of them?

Maybe… it was time to call it quits.

Maybe… it was time to end this silly little fantasy.

**-0-0-**

Kentaro sat cross armed with the rest of the audience, paying no attention to their random outbursts and other emotions they cared to display. Hearing that his client would be squared off with Keitaro in the first match certainly eased his anguish. At the very least, Diamonji would make it to the next fight, sustaining little or no injury to himself.

Just in case however, he had discretely issued his client with a single dose of one of his elusive drugs. Even if it was against the Urashima reject, Kentaro was going to leave nothing to chance.

To pass the time, Kentaro found himself tapping his fingers on top of his right arm. For a moment he lost track of time, still thinking about what Daichi said to him earlier. He was nearly lost in thought until he heard the ambience change… somewhat negatively. The people were clearly quite annoyed about something. Kentaro checked his watch, then looked carefully at the arena. Diamonji was still waiting impatiently by himself.

At the arena, Chiu sprinted and met up with Masayoshi and the others. There was only a brief exchange of words before the principal reached a conclusion. In no time at all, Chiu returned to address the public with unfortunate news.

"**Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that entry 113, Keitaro Urashima has not shown up for the match. If he does not arrive within the next five minutes, then he is disqualified from the tournament, thus allowing his opponent to win by default."**

Chiu lowered her microphone to hear the now amplified dissatisfaction from everyone around her.

"_Keitaro… what are you doing? Are you backing out?"_

**-0-0-**

Hanai's only companion was the cool wind blowing through his hair and clothes. Even though Keitaro vanished from his vision, he still felt the need to keep looking at his departed direction. Hanai was about to lose all sense of thought… until he was greeted by an old school acquaintance.

Apparently Harima couldn't give a damn about rules and regulations either. With his hands in his pockets, Harima slowly approached the serious karate student.

"Hmph. You're pep talks never fail to amuse me." Harima muttered.

Hanai didn't bother to reply, nor did he even turn around and face him. Noting the lack of response, Harima moved his hands so they rested behind his head.

"Heh, I remember the time me and Mikoto were in the hot springs together at that dojo place…"

Hanai instantly felt a knot tighten in his stomach. How long ago did this occur? If this involved his childhood friend and his eternal rival doing… heaven knows what, then he was better off not knowing.

"…she told me how you were constantly being picked on when you were a kid, and that she had to protect you from harm."

Harima could hear a faint sigh meaning he was at least being listened to, which was a good thing considering Harima wasn't very good on speeches.

"Well, if anyone still wants to pick a fight with you, they must be pretty thick or really strong."

Hanai carefully analysed his words, before quickly coming with an agreeable conclusion. _"So the guy I previously spoken to… may have experienced a childhood similar to mine… and in order to overcome his fear he must overcome his opponents."_

"You know shortly we will be facing one another." Hanai said, looking up into the sky. "And I intend to go all out."

Harima quietly chuckled to himself. "Heh… I would expect nothing less."

After the somewhat awkward conversation between them, Harima walked back to his room, leaving Hanai with a slightly different outlook towards this Urashima person.

**-0-0-**

Keitaro made it with less than a minute to spare. His heart was an earthquake, threatening to burst out of his stomach at the worst possible time. Nervously he took very slow steps towards the arena. Already he felt out of breath, the audience pounding their mixed reactions into his mind.

This was nothing like training with Mana, where they would discover each others techniques as they fought nearby the hot springs. Occasionally, Makie, Yue and, even rarer, Chisame would speculate… but the arena… was such a massively different contrast.

Hundreds of eyes pierced into him, and Keitaro knew that most of them would love nothing better than to witness him crushed and defeated.

Diamonji stared straight through him, noticing Keitaro was shaking like a leaf. Who knows what sick thoughts were going through the giant's head.

…

…

Amongst the audience, Makie spent the last few minutes holding her breath. It was a surreal sight to see her manager and Senpai being squared off against such a ruthless competitor. Just what on earth spurred him on to go through with this? _Why _did he sign himself up? Most importantly, why the hell didn't he tell anyone?! In Makie's eyes, Keitaro didn't need to prove anything. He was a sensitive, caring young man who wouldn't harm a fly. He was more than any girl could ever wish for… well perhaps minus the large glasses and scruffy hair, but if anything, it was those imperfections that made him unique.

Yuna also showed much concern, for both her friend and the guy whom she knew so little about. Yuna could understand why Makie was so attracted to him. He was a very modest person, unlike most guys she knew who were so overconfident it was almost obnoxious. To Yuna, Keitaro… was real as most people can get.

Ako could not hold back any longer. Her body was shaking violently and her eyes tightly closed. She could not take anymore of this suspense… so she rose from her seat and forced her eyes open, releasing many sparks of tears.

"DO YOUR BEST KEITARO-SAN!"

Makie and Yuna jumped out of their skin, as well as a few other strangers nearby her. The other two friends had now faced her, both with a wide-eyed expression.

"_Ako-chan…" _Makie gasped quietly. _"…yeah… that's right… during the talent contest… if it wasn't for Senpai, Ako-chan wouldn't have performed that well… she might have even been disqualified…"_

Understanding Ako's reasoning, Makie clenched her fists and tightened her lips, showing a display of utmost determination.

"YOU CAN DO IT SENPAI!" Makie shouted. "SHOW THAT ENORMOUS JERK WHO'S BOSS!"

"YOU TELL 'EM SISTER!" Yuna joined in. "C'MON MAKIE'S BOYFRIEND! SMACK THAT GUY INTO NEXT WEEK!"

…

…

Six rows below, Haitani and Shirai were just a little bit surprised… surprised enough for them to stop eating anyway. For the last few minutes neither of them summoned the courage to even talk with each other, which was a rarity for them considering they always speak their mind.

Haitani kept nodding to himself as he tried to make light of the situation. _"Either I've been drinking something funny, or Keitaro has somehow gotten himself good at fighting. He must have been training for some time, I mean that move he pulled off against that last dude was pretty sweet! Damn! Why the hell did he not tell us?!"_

Just as he contemplated his thoughts, Haitani and Shirai noticed a few guys above them jeering Keitaro's name, saying how he's going to get his butt handed to him by the opposition.

"_I can't take this shit! Keitaro is my friend! True he may be weird, timid, wears freaky glasses, has no style, has no dress sense, has no flare, looks like something the seventies chucked out, but he's still my friend!"_

Haitani closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Soon afterwards he began to chuckle lightly to himself, which then turned into a fully fledged belly laugh. Finally he rose from the seat and laughed so loudly that he alerted everybody around him, including his now confused friend Shirai.

"Hey, you got a problem pal?" One of the guys above him asked.

Haitani turned to face the guys, who all had a similar dress sense to Haitani himself. There were all roughly the same age as well.

"Indeed I do good sir!" Haitani replied. "I couldn't help but hear you guys mocking the warrior Keitaro Urashima!"

"Uh, warrior? Do you have a screw loose? He's gonna get creamed!"

Haitani smiled as he adjusted his glasses. "Then prepare to be disappointed! For you see, five years ago this very same person took on four elite female martial artists!"

One moron instantly bought the story, which just goes to show there were people more idiotic than Haitani and Shirai combined.

Shirai slapped his forehead. _"Oh God, he's making a scene…"_

Haitani now attracted a group of the dolts. "Surely he got beat down!" One of them said.

"Far from it!" Haitani grinned. "For you see, with a single palm strike, he used a terrific amount of ki energy, which completely disintegrated their clothes, leaving them all… butt… naked."

"You mean just like those two chicks in the battle royal?"

"_Exactly _like those two chicks in the battle royal. That's why he is known as… _**The Legendary Pervert**_**!**"

"_Say what?" _Shirai thought, wondering why he was still listening to drivel.

They gasped in shock, obviously completely moronic that they bought Haitani's lying excuse for a story. All except one that is.

"Oh yeah? Well I think you're full of crap!" The disbeliever spat out. "But I tell you what, why not make this interesting? Three thousand yen says Diamonji will beat 'The Legendary Pervert' into a legendary bloody pulp!"

Haitani swallowed a lump in his throat. By sheer coincidence he just so happened to have exactly three thousand yen on him, which just so happened to be enough money to purchase the latest volume of 'Hentai Kitty Hello Sailor'.

"Deal!" Haitani said without a second thought. They quickly shook hands and waited for the outcome. _"I may have made the biggest mistake in my entire life… no! My buddy won't just give up that easily! Come on Keitaro! Crush this bastard!"_

…

…

"Pleasure doing business with you chumps!" Haruna said proudly, after having shaken hands with three other guys.

Nodoka had only then opened her wallet to find it completely empty. "Aaaah! Someone stole my money!" She cried out.

"Um… heh heh… that was kinda… me." Haruna sheepishly replied. "But trust me Nodoka-chan! Once I quadruple the cash I'll promise to give you it back!"

"Does… the legendary pervert really exist?" Konoka leaned over and whispered.

"Naw of course not!" Haruna stated.

"T-then why are we betting so much money?!" Nodoka quivered.

"Because! I've read it in countless fantasy books that the weak always prevail over the strong!"

"_This isn't fantasy it's reality!" _Nodoka whimpered with waterfalls.

Konoka nodded in agreement, completely absorbed with Haruna's ludicrous theory.

This only made Nodoka cry a little more.

…

…

"GO HANAI-KUN!"

"Um, nee-san? That's not Hanai-kun…"

Tenma instantly turned into her dumbfounded persona. "Oh… then who is he?"

"His name is Keitaro Urashima." Yakumo answered.

"Oh." Tenma said, sounding a bit silly. "Well… GO WHOEVERYOUARE-KUN!"

Yakumo closed her eyes and sighed. Now her older sister was cheering for complete strangers.

**-0-0-**

Though trembling with fear, Keitaro lowered himself into a defensive stance. As a result his knees were bent slightly and his fists were partially shielding his face. Even for a rookie, Keitaro knew that if one of those bear like hands made contact with his chin… he would black out in a second.

Only his eyes moved to look at the internet idol, her beautiful crimson hair flowing with the wind. To Keitaro's surprise, Chiu was returning his expression, her light brown eyes meeting his. There was no doubt in Keitaro's mind. Chiu was a goddess. An angel in which he felt more than honoured just being a small part in her life.

If only he knew the truth…

Slowly, Chiu raised her microphone and took a deep breath.

Keitaro closed his eyes for a second, then reopened them to face the giant once more.

"_Everyone… please forgive me… I don't want to get myself hurt, and I know none of you want to see me in pain as well… but this feels… like the first time I have ever stood up for myself…"_

Keitaro knew he wasn't going to win the tournament.

Keitaro knew he couldn't defeat Diamonji.

He only wanted to prove to the world that he wasn't a snivelling little coward. To see through this goal, Keitaro was going to give it everything he had.

His muscles shivered when he heard Chiu's voice.

"**Begin the match."**

For a man of his build, Diamonji was surprisingly fast. In just a short breath Diamonji had already crossed halfway past the arena, whilst Keitaro was still rooted to the ground. On instinct alone, Keitaro dived out of the way before a massive fist would scramble his brains. Keitaro combined his retreat with a forward roll, giving him that much needed distance.

Diamonji snarled, annoyed that he couldn't take out the worm as easily as he anticipated. Again he lunged himself for another attack, this time with his other fist. To avoid Diamonji's second bout of rage, Keitaro took a large step to the right, which caused the giant to miss again, albeit barely. Keitaro could still feel the vigorous force even though the attack missed a good few inches. There was no mistake about it. Diamonji was nothing but raw power.

After a few moments of avoidances, Keitaro had found himself near the centre. Diamonji decided on a different approach. Using both arms he reached out far and wide, attempting to grapple Keitaro to the ground. Keitaro panicked when he looked left and right. Diamonji's outstretched arms made him appear twice as large, leaving no room to dive out of the way. Fortunately Diamonji was outsmarted again. In a desperate plea to escape, Keitaro squatted on all fours and scrambled straight through the giant's legs.

Breathing faster than before, Keitaro kept moving and changing his position so he could now sprint out of harm's way. Just in time, his legs froze, nearly making the upper part of his body wobble forward. He gasped sharply, realising the sheer mistake he made. If he had made a further three steps, Keitaro would have exited out of the arena itself, abruptly ending the match. A cowardly thought crept inside him. Running away certainly was tempting, but quickly he shook his head. No way was he going to surrender in front of so many people. If he did, he would never live it down.

He could hear Diamonji chuckle sinisterly, taking quite a delight in Keitaro's error of judgement. Keitaro turned around to face his opponent. There was no safe position to retreat this time. Any defensive manoeuvre would prove futile.

"YOU LOSE SHITHEAD!" Diamonji shouted, laughing as he raised his fist for the final blow.

Keitaro's timing could not have been more perfect.

Diamonji was so caught up in the moment that his reckless attack left his whole upper body and face exposed. Keitaro found the opening he needed.

A fierce palm thrust struck straight into his mouth, the force of it causing Diamonji to stagger. The audience gasped as they witnessed the first upset of the match. In that three second moment, Diamonji could not see straight. He was dizzy, and when he touched his lips, he was irritated to feel his own blood.

"_Bastard. That's the second time he's made me bleed." _Diamonji growled through his teeth.

Fortunately for him, Diamonji had recovered from the surprise attack, but that fortune turned into disaster when he realised where his was… the exact same position Keitaro had been earlier on. Diamonji was one step away from the outer ring of the circle. He could hear Keitaro's footsteps. It was obvious he was behind him.

Diamonji's eyes widened. _"So he plans to force me out of the circle?!"_

Keitaro could not believe his luck. His brain wanted to comprehend the situation, but the raw feeling in his gut told him to just go for it. Raising his right hand high above his shoulders, Keitaro proceeded to slam Diamonji's back, so the childhood nightmares would be vanquished once and for all.

A vicious mule kick to the stomach stopped his dreams…

Whereas Diamonji lacked in intelligence, he more than made up with experience. Unlike Keitaro, Diamonji had fought countless battles for five years. Pure instinct told Diamonji where Keitaro was going to strike, so he countered with a primitive but effective kick.

Keitaro grunted as he clutched his stomach with both hands. He learned the hard way that Diamonji's feet were as deadly as his fists.

He felt a sudden coldness in his heart. A giant shadow loomed over him.

Keitaro looked up just in time to see a massive fist crush downwards into his face.

The pain was unbearable. Keitaro was hurled back into the centre with an unforgiving impact. His face was swollen and throbbing. He was silenced from reality.

Diamonji crackled his knuckles with delight. He knew it would only take one punch and it would all be over.

"Heh heh…" He chuckled. "…just when I was warming… huh?!"

Keitaro struggled, but within seconds he was back on his feet. Every part of him felt agonising, but he wasn't ready to throw in the towel.

Diamonji was in disbelief, but wasted no time in continuing his attack. Seeing his fist ready to strike home, Keitaro tried to jump out of the way… but whether it was pain or fear, his legs refused to respond. Panicking, Keitaro opted to shield his face with both arms. Sadly that proved to be a costly mistake. Like before, Diamonji guided his fist to strike straight into Keitaro's belly, forcing him to sit hard on the ground. Diamonji's next move was truly despicable. In a running motion he toe punted Keitaro like a soft toy, sending him flying until he landed with a heavy thud. As a result, Keitaro suffered tremendous whiplash.

Despite the increasing injuries Keitaro still refused to surrender. Diamonji could not make sense of it when Keitaro rose to his feet for a second time. Diamonji had defeated veterans of fighting with a single blow. One thought crossed his mind; how the hell could Keitaro still be breathing?

Diamonji's arms shook violently. He could slowly feel an unnatural heat emitting from them. Anyone who had a good view of Diamonji could easily see his entire body change into a distinct shade of crimson.

Keitaro could not comprehend anything. His mind was filled with absolute confusion. He body showed no residence. He could see Diamonji rush towards him, but did nothing to overcome this beast.

With every ounce of strength, Diamonji punched hard into Keitaro's face, the impact causing the back of his head to meet the ground in a hellish speed.

The crowd fell silent. Only those with a shadowed heart would be cheering for Keitaro's demise. Everyone who knew Keitaro could not believe the sight they had bared witness to.

Yue was more confused than anyone else, not properly thinking how much danger Keitaro was subjected to. Hayato's large hand gently touched the blunette's back, trying his best to comfort her. Masayoshi had already ordered Taishi to call in the medics.

The principal's eyes never moved away from the tragic scene. _"Kentaro… I hope you are satisfied…"_

However, in the crowd, Kentaro was not his usual smug self. His vision was only focused on Keitaro's lifeless body. He admitted Keitaro showed courage, but in the end, the match finished exactly how he predicted. He closed his eyes and quietly breathed through his nose. One more win and he was guaranteed to keep his job.

Trying not to panic, Yuna weaved through the crowds whilst carrying her friend Ako. This was the first match Ako watched all the way through. Watching Keitaro and all the blood splattered around the arena caused her to faint straight away. Yuna rushed out of the arena to find a nearby medical facility, leaving Makie alone to watch the end in utmost shock. Makie covered her mouth with both hands, the tears in her eyes refusing to subside.

Haitani and Shirai were overwhelmed with pain. The three of them were like brothers. Even though grown men crying was deemed shameful to other men, Haitani and Shirai pushed that stupid lie aside.

Haitani shouted for all he was worth. "YOU BASTARD KEITARO. YOU CAN'T DIE YET. YOU STILL NEED TO GET A GIRLFRIEND. YOU STILL NEED TO HAVE KIDS. THEN… THEN I CAN TEACH YOUR KIDS HOW TO PICK UP CHICKS."

Shirai gently patted his friend's shoulder. He did not know what to say in these kind of situations. He never wanted to be in these kind of situations.

Nodoka felt scared as she huddled into the side of her friend Haruna, whilst Haruna remained dumbstruck, as if her heart struck a nonexistent chord. As for Konoka, she buried her face into her handkerchief, vainly holding back her grief.

Tenma and Yakumo also couldn't believe what happened. In fact, hardly anyone cared about Diamonji's victory. Nearly everyone was concentrated on Keitaro Urashima, a man who showed much bravery, despite being hopelessly outmatched.

Chiu's hair overshadowed her eyes. She collapsed on her knees. None of this had to be real. It must be an illusion. Where were the lights? The curtains? The hidden switches?

It was true when they first met, Keitaro and Chisame were like oil and water… but over the past few months they had developed a mutual understanding. At the very least, they seemed to have acknowledged each others presence.

Why did God take away such a wonderful person?

…

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

_My name is Keitaro Urashima. I'm twenty one years old and I don't exactly stand out from the crowd. I'm far from handsome, and I have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. What's more, I'm five foot seven, which is quite short compared to most guys my age… and I have abnormally scruffy hair, wear ancient glasses and have a terrible taste in clothes._

_I didn't particularly enjoy my childhood years. My parents treated me like a burden and the kids at school treated me like a punching bag. It was days like that I could huddle myself in a corner and pass away._

_As I grew older, my aunt Haruka offered me the position of an all girls dormitory known as Hinata-Sou. Unfortunately I screwed that up too. I wasn't very good working in the tea house, and scarcely any girls wanted a room for a night. They probably thought it was weird that a guy ran an all girls dormitory. They probably thought I was some kind of twisted pervert._

_My life was pretty pathetic… _

… _but that all changed last Christmas…_

_Four girls entered my life, each one completely different from the next. I could not believe my luck. Business had gained from scraping the barrel… to a near overflow of cash! I was delighted when they all paid me their monthly rate. I was scared of asking to be honest. I was afraid one of them would try to get out of it by forcefully showing me their cleavage… uuhhh not that I would think about that sort of thing. I admit it was patchy at the start, but we all became good friends in the end. I couldn't be happier._

…

…

_Why…_

_Why did I throw it all away?_

_Why couldn't I just forget about my stupid childhood and ignore the tournament altogether?_

_I was a fool into thinking I could defeat somebody like him._

_I don't want to die just yet… life… _

…_life was just starting to get interesting…_

…

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

After a long and peaceful slumber, Keitaro had finally awoken from the darkness. The aroma of sakura petals from a blossoming tree delighted his senses. A warm glow of air lightly penetrated his skin. Birds and their young were singing in perfect harmony.

To his sheer amazement, Keitaro could not recognise any feelings of discomfort. Parts of his body felt tender, but otherwise uninjured. Instinctively he traced a finger through the side of his chest. He was wearing… a cloth of some kind. A silky, white robe? What happened to his previous wardrobe?

Keitaro widely opened his eyes and gazed at the spellbinding scenery laid before him. A meadow, filled with flowers of every possible colour, and trees so tall their branches could touch the sky. The grass on his feet was a lush, dark green, every individual blade left unspoilt. From the distance he could make out a massive, immaculate structure, filled with an incredible contrast of silver and gold.

"I'm dead…" Keitaro whispered to himself. His expression was merely solemn. Already he accepted fate.

The afterlife, so he had concluded, was certainly amazing to behold. Perhaps this was his reward for the prolonged suffering he induced in the real world. Yet despite living in such a utopia, something vague at the back of his mind told him… he once set foot here before…

"Kei-kun!"

His head instantly faced north-east. He gasped and had just enough time to cradle the girl who gracefully leapt into his arms. Sayo was as real since the time Keitaro vanquished the evil surrounding her. Like Keitaro, Sayo also wore a white robe, which complemented exceptionally with her golden long hair.

Needless to say it wasn't long before they acknowledged their presence. The two embraced each other fiercely.

"It's good to see you again!" Sayo said, absolutely delighted to see him.

"Yeah…" Keitaro replied, still not sure what to make of the situation. He was reunited with his childhood friend… but could no longer see his beloved residents. His face fell. They were likely still grieving his departure. "…I just wish… I wish I could say goodbye to my friends…"

Sayo took a step back and tilted her head.

"…you know, since… I can't see them again…" Keitaro spoke through croaked whispered.

A realisation struck the spiritual beauty. Keitaro thought he was here because his existence had came to an end.

"You're… not dead." Sayo assured him.

Keitaro stared at her straight in the eye. "What do you mean? I'm here aren't I? I mean… this is the afterlife right?"

"I sent you here…"

Keitaro frowned. Being sent to the afterlife when he was alive didn't exactly sit well with him.

"…I've tried communicating you in the real world, but I… haven't had much luck. I tried your mobile but… accidentally contacted Mana-san's instead."

Keitaro scratched his head, trying to attach a sentence together. "_That's right, I only managed to speak with her for a few seconds until we lost contact… _so why am I sent here?"

"Through dreaming… you managed to establish a link to me…" Sayo replied, a rosy hue appearing on her face. "…you always think of me when you are asleep, Kei-kun… and… I always think of you too. Please… please forgive me, for even as I live in the wonderful afterlife… the afterlife is not wonderful without you… Kei-kun… …I need you."

The two of them looked longingly at each other.

"I have already granted permission from the Goddesses." Sayo whispered absentmindedly.

Keitaro glanced to one side, looking very apologetic… and confused. "_Goddesses…? _I… can't…" He said reluctantly. "…my friends are still waiting for my return."

Sayo shook her head slowly. "No… what I mean is… we _both _return to the real world… …as one…"

"H-how do we do that?" Keitaro asked sceptically.

The girl lightly exhaled a sigh. "To do that… you must allow me… to be inside of you…"

The birds stopped singing, as did the wind. Even the tiniest of ambiences… stopped.

Both of their faces turned purple. The two of them flapped their arms manically.

"WHAT?!" Shouted Keitaro. "YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO… DO IT?!"

"NONONONONO! I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!" The spirit frantically assured.

It took quite some time for Sayo to calm down, which she then beckoned Keitaro to do the same.

"Just… close your eyes… and relax…"

He blinked once, then twice before eventually lowering his eyelids. He felt a cold shiver in his spine when Sayo embraced him again, but knew that was just his nervous system reacting. He could feel his body… glow strongly. He was worried but nonetheless remained stationary. To prove he was worthy of Sayo's trust, Keitaro screwed his eyes tightly than ever before… almost as if the world depended on him not to fail.

He gasped loudly… his vision… completely surrounded with a brilliant whiteness…

…

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

"**The winner of this match is…"**

Slowly Chiu lowered the microphone, her eyes fixated on his moving form. Keitaro had steadily rolled onto his belly, and, summoning an incredible amount of strength, managed to lift himself onto his feet. The upper part of his body was still cursed with fatigue and injury, but otherwise showed no signs of surrender. Once again, just when the idol had him figured out… he somehow pulls off the impossible… right in front of her disbelieving eyes.

Keitaro examined his hands. He could feel an immense warmth emitting from them. His legs were similarly affected, as were all the muscles in his body. His mind was so… clear… as though somebody was inside, rejecting every single bad memory he once had.

From the audience, the distinct sound of a coffee carton was heard when it dropped from hand to floor. Though he said nothing, any lip reader could detect the three words escaping Kentaro's mouth… 'what the fuck'.

With two fists raised into the sky, Diamonji appeared to be too preoccupied with his victory. It was only until the audience shifted into another ambience had the giant realised something was wrong. With his back facing Keitaro, Diamonji looked over his shoulder. Disbelieving what he saw, he then turned around and stared at him. Sweat poured out of his head. Diamonji's finishing blow was capable of killing a raging bull. How the hell was he able to remain standing?

Both of them stood at opposite ends of the circle. If either of them took three steps back, they would eliminate themselves.

With hair overshadowing his glasses, Keitaro was the first to speak, showing a surprising quantity of confidence.

"Celebrating already?" He asked Diamonji. "Last time I checked, this match was still on."

Diamonji had never looked so frightened in all his life. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" He shouted, pointing a nervous finger in Keitaro's direction.

"It's pronounced '_who _the fuck are you'." Keitaro corrected. "Seriously, didn't they teach you anything at high school?"

Chiu meanwhile, contemplated the insanity that is her mind. _"Okay… Keitaro has risen from the dead… and… and he is now trash talking his opponent… this is normal… perfectly… normal…"_

"YOU BASTARD! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST FUCKING STAY DEAD!?"

Diamonji let out a gut wrenching battle cry as he charged manically towards him. His intentions were to pummel him until he resembled a small pile of ash.

But by the time Diamonji met the centre of the circle… Keitaro joined him with unimaginable speed.

In a split second, Keitaro grappled his muscular waist and lifted him high into the air, still maintaining his running movement. He carried the giant effortlessly before slamming him ruthlessly to the ground. The resulting impact caused the ground to crack under Diamonji's weight.

Keitaro took a few steps back in retreat. He didn't look too surprised when Diamonji regained his footing. Actually… Keitaro looked more than pleased to continue.

Still surprised, Diamonji tried to get rid of his nightmare ordeal by getting rid of the gnat that had shocked everyone watching. Only this time, Diamonji's attacks were noticeably slower and cumbersome. Diamonji aimed for a straight fist, but wobbled slightly, giving Keitaro plenty of time to strike him four times in the chest. Keitaro's hand palms were basic attacks, but each strike was viciously effective.

Diamonji breathed hard. He was in trouble. This time Diamonji reached for Keitaro's jaw, but Keitaro spun half circle to avoid the attack, shades of what Mikoto performed against Ukita. Facing his back, Keitaro risked a roundhouse kick… and much to his delight, pulled it off fluently. Diamonji once again ate the gravel but quickly rose to his feet. Keitaro figured his opponent did not enjoy staying down.

The two of them gave each other distance before clashing for the umpteenth time. Keitaro evaded five of Diamonji's blows. Not giving him another chance, Keitaro attacked.

The palm of his right hand brushed against Diamonji's cheek. The left hand… crushed the bridge of his nose. Using his right again Keitaro struck into his chest, causing his opponent to skid four metres backwards, leaving him in a very sorry state.

Diamonji's chest heaved upwards. Veins in his muscles were rapidly increasing. Almost all of him was beet red, and his hair was drenched in sweat.

Diamonji ran towards him… yelling so loudly he could feel his own throat dry up from exhaustion. _**"DIIIIIIIIIIE."**_

Keitaro positioned himself into an offensive stance. His eyes, invisible behind the glasses.

He lifted his right arm and hand upwards, catching Diamonji straight in the chin…

"_**OKUZUUKAKA WA OMUZIMU!"**_

…

…

…

…

…

…

Keitaro looked at the horizontal straightness of his arm, slowly followed by the knuckles of his hand. He could clearly see the visage of another hand inside. This… other hand was smaller… delicate… feminine…

"_Sayo-san…"_

…

…

"_Kei-kun…"_

…

…

He then focused his attention towards the opposition. He had somehow _flew_ an unbelievable distance away from Keitaro, but more importantly, Diamonji was lying on his back, his arms and legs spread out in an unceremonious fashion. He had not moved a muscle.

Finally, Keitaro tuned into the warm reality around him. Screaming, cheering, whistling… and they were just a handful of the emotions pouring out of the audience. His friends… even the people newly acquainted with him… they were all on their feet, ecstatic…

…well except Yue… and Hayato… they were just sort of smiling…

Meanwhile, Kentaro frantically mashed a selection of buttons on his mobile phone, desperately trying to squirm out of a dire situation. Daichi however, had already blocked any possible kind of communication with him, proof that Kentaro's father was strictly serious with his proposal.

Kentaro turned pale and exited post haste, leaving his ex-client behind.

…

Chiu found herself absorbed in all the joyous commotion, so absorbed that she forgot to announce the winner, even though it was apparent who won. The famous idol was just about to open her mouth when Taishi, from out of nowhere, whipped the microphone away from her unsuspecting hands.

Taishi lifted the microphone way above his head and spoke in a most gratifying manner. **"HOLY CRIMSON COW PEOPLE! WHAT A TREMENDOUS COMEBACK! THE WINNER, WHO WILL NOW GO THROUGH TO THE QUARTER FINALS… THE INCREDIBLE… THE UNSTOPPABLE… KEITARO URASHIMA!"**

Taishi's voice lifted the audience to an even higher degree, if that were possible.

"H-hey!" Chiu complained. "I was just going to announce the winner myself!"

"My apologises madam." Taishi replied, returning the microphone. "I could not resist!"

Chiu closed her eyes and smiled. She took a deep breath and declared the winner herself. **"Ladies and gentlemen! The winner of this match, and the first participant to enter the quarter finals… Keitaro UrrrAAAH!"**

Chiu didn't quite finish her speech because Taishi had grabbed her by the hands. The two of them were endlessly swinging in circles.

Keitaro acknowledged the vast audience by laughing nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, just like always. A bodyguard then appeared to greet him and the two of them walked away from the arena.

…

…

**-0-0-**

Keitaro gazed upwards at the night sky, walking alongside the bodyguard, his footsteps walking on the familiar land of grass. Even at this distance, Keitaro could still hear the audience. Perhaps his ears were deceiving him, but he was certain the words 'legendary' and 'pervert' were glued together.

He noticed Hanai walking opposite his direction. Hanai was up next, and he would be facing a guy he knew all too well. The serious fighter gave Keitaro an approving nod before they crossed paths. Keitaro didn't know how to react. Now he was getting respect from other competitors.

A few more steps and he recognised Harima, who was also walking a similar path. Keitaro remembered him as the strange scary guy with a passion for girls half his height. Harima once had his hands in his pockets, but as he approached Keitaro, Harima raised his right hand high in the air. On instinct Keitaro lifted his left hand…

…and remarkably, Harima gave him a strong high five.

Keitaro didn't know whether to feel embarrassed or just go with it all.

Keitaro was through to the quarter final… …although in another sense… he had accomplished so much more. The raging demon inside his head… was finally dethroned.

…

…

_Author: Bloody hell, I predicted I would do 6000 words and end up doing 9000 instead… and all just for one battle! Rest assured, not all the fights will be that long… but with this chapter I wanted to show the absolute rise of Keitaro Urashima… and I think (I hope) I've pulled it off._

_I did promise to introduce more characters in this chapter. Sorry but I decided it would be more appropriate to introduce them in chapter 25 instead. _

'_Okuzuukuka wa Omuzimu' is roughly translated into 'wake of ghost', and keep in mind it's not a Japanese translation._

_One other thing, I should have mentioned this last chapter, but I'm overjoyed because this is my first story that has hit over 100,000 words. Thanks for all the reviews… and here's to another 100,000!_

_So… who will Keitaro face in the quarter final?_

_See you next time!_


	25. Wardrobe Malfunction

**Chapter Twenty Five - The Pervert, the Bitch and the Wardrobe Malfunction**

…

Yuna gently ruffled her hair.

She never enjoyed staying in these kind of places. It had taken her back two years ago when her grandmother was in a critical state of health. Although this wasn't a hospital in a sense, it still had the atmosphere and accessories that reminded her of one.

The medical facility had a white and grey chequered floorboard. The walls and ceilings were coloured white, which overall made for an uninteresting scene. Every four or so metres contained a bed of equal and plain design, but nonetheless looked very comforting. The air contained a faint aroma of disinfectant. Only echoing footsteps from doctors and nurses were heard, rarely followed by brief conversations between staff.

The facility was occupied with many patients. Some of the earlier tournament entrants were still being treated, their levels of pain varied from a twisted ankle to a broken rib. Some of the more unfortunate suffered multiple injuries, but luckily their problems were not fatal. They would live to fight another day, but they had to take it steady for the next few weeks, or maybe a couple of months before they could completely recover.

Ako was in a stable, but healthy condition, sleeping soundly like the angel she is. The timid girl was used to her frail condition, so it would come as no surprise when she would awaken to irregular surroundings.

"Ako-chan… you're quite amazing." Yuna whispered. "Even with your condition, you show so much strength."

She fished out her mobile phone and slowly walked outside the facility. _"I hope Makie-chan is alright, I feel sorry for leaving her alone so abruptly."_

"Don't worry I'll be right back." She quietly assured her friend.

**-0-0-**

"Hey Makie-chan it's me." Yuna spoke through her phone.

"Y-Yuna-chan!"

Yuna frowned at Makie's change of voice. "Are you okay? You sound…"

Makie abruptly cut her off. "SENPAI WON! SENPAI WON!"

Bless her little cotton socks. In Makie's happy little land of fairies and multicoloured mushrooms, Keitaro had destroyed Diamonji with a super charged magical attack. Least that is what Yuna thought. Last time Yuna remembered the fight, 'Senpai' was out cold, or worse.

"Makie-chan…" Yuna began to say, wondering if the facility had any treatment for disillusioned people.

"Move out of the way young lady!"

"Huh?"

Yuna turned around to see four men in white uniform, walking briskly whilst carrying a stretcher. Yuna had to rub her eyes. Resting on the stretcher was Keitaro's ruthless opponent, except now he was as tame as a kitten. Diamonji was completely incapable of movement, which was evidently shown with his lifeless body and his head which lopped over to one side.

Her arms became dead weight, and her mobile nearly dropped to the ground as a result. It was only the repeated voice of Makie that alerted her senses.

"Incredible." Came the soft reply, unsure whether it was intended for her friend or herself.

Makie explained to Yuna what happened, her mouth moving at a record breaking eight words a second. Even more amazing was that Yuna was able to understand it all. Of course, the running commentary from her friend wasn't enough. Yuna really wanted to experience the conclusion first hand. She wanted to see Diamonji get the absolute shit kicked out of him, by Keitaro no less.

"Heh, I knew your boyfriend would make it through." Grinned Yuna, utterly lying through her teeth.

Makie's voice turned sour. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Uh huh and I'm a guy…"

Makie was quick off the mark. "Oh really? Was the sex operation successful?"

"Oh ha haa." Yuna lamely replied.

There was a short, awkward pause before Makie was heard again. This time her voice was more delicate and sympathising. "How's Ako-chan?"

"She's okay…" Yuna replied, with a lack of much else to say about her. "…I'm gonna keep her company, y'know since it's kind of my fault I dragged her to the tournament in the first place."

Though it would suck to be by herself, Makie nonetheless agreed, for her friends and their wellbeing. "Yeah sure, no problem."

"Oh! Be sure to cheer for me when Takeda-kun shows up!"

"Hehe! Yeah sure thing I'll… huh? Haitani-senpai? Shirai-senpai? What are you guys doing here?!"

"_Oooo… awkward…" _Yuna thought as she switched off her phone.

**-0-0-**

"_Y-yuna-chan!" _Makie gulped, trying to redial her friend, but to no avail.

"Yo Makie-chan!" Haitani said, making an non-motioned wave with one hand. "We were just stocking up on grub and noticed you by yourself! Oh are these seats taken?"

Makie put away her phone and weakly shook her head.

"Sweet! Can we join you?"

Makie slowly nodded.

"Sweet!"

Before she realised what was happening, Haitani was now seated next to her, whilst Shirai was next to Haitani. Makie bowed her head and sighed, listening to the repulsive sound of popcorn meeting teeth. Soon Haitani was bound to talk to her about anything retarded, perverted or completely nonsensical.

"Seriously I never thought Keitaro could kick so much ass!" Haitani spoke through joy (and crumbs).

Upon hearing Senpai's name, Makie's face perked up a little. True, Haitani and Shirai weren't exactly the best of company, but it was better than nothing, plus the three of them shared a sort of bond with him. Makie truly thought Keitaro was an amazing tutor, manager and friend, and as for Keitaro's pals… well, they've known the guy since kindergarten.

"Yeah!" Makie followed the conversation. "I mean what he did at the end…"

"…oh yeah that totally rocked! What did he say though? Was it like 'wakka yakka woo'…?"

"…huh? Oh that! Dunno, but he sure took out that giant moron!"

"Yeah! Wiped the floor clean with him! You know… I taught him most of that stuff!"

"Liar!"

Through the corner of his eye, Shirai watched Haitani and Makie happily nattering away to one another. In a way, Shirai was quite envious of his lanky friend. He knew Haitani's chances of scoring with a chick were minimal to none, but that didn't stop him from openly talking to them. Shirai however, had to crumble though five layers of fortified brick wall just to say 'hi'.

Shirai gulped when he noticed the girl lean forward, turning to greet him face to face.

"What do you think about him, Shirai-senpai?" She asked innocently.

A blush appeared on his face, faint but noticeable. Her baby cheeks, button nose and eyes full of wonder… all belonging to the teenager, Makie Sasaki.

"_Makie-chan is so cuuuute! _Uuuhh…well…" He stuttered. He twiddled his thumbs and his eyes darted around as if trying to find an answer.

"Hey check it out guys!" Haitani interrupted. "The next match has already started!"

"Cool!" Makie beamed. On instinct, she grabbed Haitani's bag of popcorn and began munching the contents rapidly. "I hear those two are evenly matched."

Haitani nodded, his eyes reading a folded sheet of paper. "Well it says in the pamphlet that Hanai is six foot one whilst Harima is six foot, but has a slight weight advantage. Their fighting skills couldn't be more different though. Whilst Hanai is a master of karate, Harima spent most of his youth street fighting…"

Shirai lowered his head and sighed. When it came to confidence, Haitani was way ahead of him.

**-0-0-**

Harima and Hanai observed the battle ground. Cracks and old blood stains were the remnants of Keitaro's struggle against Diamonji. Their eyes were then fixated on each other… waiting…

When Chiu announced to begin the second round, Harima and Hanai at once sprung into action. Their bodies reacted before their minds could even comprehend the situation. Their first move was a straight forward punch, and their fists clashed together like two giant rocks. A stalemate, with neither of them giving an inch nor quarter.

The warriors leapt backwards and decided on a different method of physicality. Now the fight had truly begun. Harima lunged for a full head blow, but Hanai swerved his body out of harms way. Hanai countered with a high kick to the face, but Harima easily blocked the move with a cross armed stance. Various and numerous techniques were executed, but neither of them received the upper hand they craved for. Also, neither of them lured their opponents out of the circle. It's not like the thought had crossed their minds… to them… it just felt like an act of cowardice. This was a raw test of strength and endurance.

Through an ocean of misunderstandings, Harima and Hanai have challenged each other for many years. Sometimes Harima would win, other times Hanai would be the victor. Most of the time however, the end results were inconclusive. This was the first official match they had ever competed in. No matter who would win, the end result would change their lives forever.

**-0-0-**

Strip, shower, change of clothes, relax. Keitaro had only gone through this procedure twice today, and already it felt second nature to him. Casually watching the match, Keitaro's stomach decided on something quick, filling and tasty. He opened the fridge door and an outstretched hand offered him a bowl of beef ramen.

"Wow! Thanks very much!" Keitaro said in surprise, gratefully accepting the food. The fridge door magically closed by itself.

After popping the bowl in the microwave for two minutes, he carefully retrieved the steaming contents and wolfed the whole lot down with chopsticks. He patted his stomach as it growled with satisfaction.

"Wait a second…!"

The fridge door burst open and every can of soda that was in there exploded all over the room. Taishi leapt and pranced all over the place, and finished with a dramatic ballerina twirl on top of the telly. He was also shivering from the immense cold.

"B-B-BRAAAVVVOOO!" Taishi boomed. "Y-YOU HAVE D-DEFEATED THE END OF L-LEVEL BOSS AND HAVE R-RID THE W-WORLD OF ALL THINGS EVIL!"

Keitaro's eyes burst out of their glasses. "T-TAISHI?! What are you doing here?! And how long have you been in my fridge?!"

Taishi grinned and leapt off the television. "Why… I am here to congratulate you comrade! Congratulate you on your first supreme victory!"

Keitaro sighed. "There are many ways to 'congratulate' me, but hiding in the fridge is not one of them!"

"Hey comrade! Check these out!" Taishi said, whisking out two action figures from his left and right pockets. One looked like a miniature replica of Keitaro in his karate outfit, whilst the other looked exactly like Chao Lingshen, her floral dress re-crafted perfectly. Dangling on their feet was a tiny price tag.

Somewhere, someplace, people were actually buying these toys…

"Uh, what are those?" Keitaro asked. Actually, he had a pretty good idea what they were, he just couldn't believe that someone made the effort to create them.

"Shhh! Watch this!" Taishi replied, his voice the equivalent of an excited child.

He pressed a small button on toy Keitaro's back. The figure responding by grabbing toy Chao's dress with its right arm, before yanking it off completely, leaving the Chinese girl in her underwear.

"OH GOD THAT IS SO WRONG!" Keitaro shouted, pointing at the plastic monstrosities.

Taishi stroked his chin. "Well, I admit the price tag is a little steep…"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! AND WHY IS MY FIGURE GRINNING LIKE THAT?!"

His green hair overshadowed his tiny yellow spectacles. "It's in your veins, it's in your brain, it's in your heart…" He said calmly. "You, my friend… are the legendary pervert…"

"_Is that what the audience were calling out?!" _Keitaro thought with a groan. "It was all an accident I swear!"

Sighing, Keitaro slumped onto the sofa, defeated from the mental engagement. "Taishi… I appreciate you coming over to thank me, but I really need to rest and prepare myself for the next match. _Aw… the floor is covered in juice!_"

Keitaro only took his attention away for a second. We he glanced back, Taishi grabbed a waste bin and forcefully shoved his karate outfit at the bottom.

"What are you doing now?!" Keitaro asked.

"TA-DA!" Shouted Taishi, offering Keitaro a large, gift wrapped present. "Happy birthday!"

Even though it wasn't his birthday, Keitaro cautiously accepted the box. He carefully unwrapped the packaging, wondering what lurked inside. He wasn't in the mood to accept more Keitaro related merchandise. As he lifted the lid, inside was a martial arts outfit, only this time the material was golden and glittery. It looked very expensive.

"Woah… thanks, but… I dunno, it looks a little… showy." Keitaro said as he unfolded the clothing.

With a thumbs up, Taishi laughed superiorly. "Of course it is 'showy'! A champion such as yourself deserves to stand out!"

"Well… if you say so, I guess I'll try it on."

With a quick glance of his watch, Taishi realised he had been away from the arena for quite a while.

"I better be going…" Taishi said. "Don't forget, you are not a coward anymore! You are a king! A warrior of truth and justice! See you in the arena, comrade!"

Before Keitaro could respond, Taishi already made his dramatic exit. A shame it was through the window rather than the door. Double glazing was no match for one of Taishi's flying somersaults.

Keitaro smiled. Even though Taishi was a touch on the chaotic side, he definitely played an important role to ensure Keitaro would make it this far. _"I guess I do owe it to him."_

…but as he turned the outfit around, Keitaro noticed three large words boldly stitched in florescent pink… 'THE LEGENDARY PERVERT'.

His face paled and his mouth hung agape. "TAISHI! I CAN'T WEAR THIS!"

**-0-0-**

Ten minutes can pass by without a second thought, but on the battlefield, ten minutes can last forever. Their hearts pounded relentlessly. Hanai and Harima had battered and bruised each other to a state where either of them could collapse any given moment.

Extending their last amount of energy, both of them rushed headstrong to the centre.

"_**HURRICANE KICK!" -- "FLOWER TIGER FIST!"**_

Up until now, Harima had not risked any moves using his legs, so the audience were undoubtedly surprised when Harima launched a devastating mid range roundhouse kick. The force was, as his signature move implied, as powerful as a hurricane.

However, at that same moment, Hanai lunched forward and stopped Harima's shin with a destructive long range fist. For a moment, his arm glowed with a darkish orange… and his teeth appeared to be replaced with feline like fangs! His newly developed image, however, did not phase his rival. Harima did not know the meaning of the word 'fear'.

Sweat dripped from their foreheads and faces… their attacks fiercely locked on. It was only a matter of strength now before one of them would overcome the other.

Suddenly…

"_**HURRICANE SHINING WIZARD!"**_

…Harima spun a full three sixty and kicked Hanai in the face with his other foot. Hanai gasped as he found himself spinning before crashing into the ground.

Hanai laid out on his back, breathing very heavily. _"What on earth?! He… he followed his signature attack?!"_

In the audience Yakumo delicately placed a hand on her lips. "A-amazing." Was the only word whispered from her mouth, and Tenma was, for once, lost for words. The older, smaller sister could only nod in agreement, watching Hanai's near motionless form.

Harima took a final deep breath and walked slowly to his rival.

In a blink of an eye, Hanai wrapped his legs around Harima's shin, whilst still lying on the ground. Harima panicked. He left his body vulnerable and he could not move at all.

Hanai rose from his waist and delivered a second Flower Tiger Fist to his adversary. This time the attack met its target, his clenched fist screwed deeply into Harima's chest. Harima was flown horizontally before landing in an ugly heap.

Hanai looked fragile as he carefully lifted himself to his feet. He watched and waited for Harima to get up, but that moment never happened. Only after the audience counted ten had Harima painfully sat up, still dizzy from the impact. His eyes gazed at the towering form of the karate master, looking down at him… with an outstretched hand.

Harima was normally never able to take defeat gracefully, but as the years passed by he learned to neglect his inner child. He had took his eyes away for one second, and it was that moment which led him to his downfall. Carelessness was his mistake, an undeniable truth he had to accept.

With fierce strength, Harima grasped Hanai's hand and was lifted to his feet.

"You win, glasses." Harima said, looking at him straight in the eye.

Hanai made a small nod in reply. "It was a close match. It could have gone either way."

"**The winner of this match is Hanai Haruki!"** Came Chiu's voice from the microphone. _"… and I thought Diamonji was tough. Keitaro would have a hard time defeating either of those guys."_

After the match Tenma had buried her face into the shoulder of her younger sister. She was crying, but with tears of joy.

"Those two are so cool." She sniffled. "Even after the fight, they put their differences aside… that's what real men should do…"

With eyes still wide, Yakumo stared at the two men she knew all too well. _"Harima-san… Hanai-san…"_

…

…

"Um… glasses?" Harima asked Hanai.

"Hmm?"

"Will this handshake ever end?"

"I don't know Harima… I don't know…"

…

…

**-0-0-**

Time passed by, and the third match was well on the way. On one side stood a character of average height and build. His black hair had been shaved into a number three, resulting in a militant like style. His martial arts outfit was white and had a logo of a bloodied fist near where his right shoulder was. Rumours and whispers began to spread from the audience, and the rumours were true. Though he looked like a normal fighter, he was in fact one of the five elite karate members from the First Blood Sports Arena, a fighting club held in the Ariake Youth Centre of Tokyo.

His name is Tomoya Tsuneo, a man in his late teens who naturally specialises in karate. There was no doubt that he had some experience, but even so, his legs were shaking. Perhaps the reason behind this was that Tomoya never competed one on one in front of so many spectators…

…or perhaps it was his opponent, staring at him like a piece of meat waiting to be butchered.

"_There are so many people watching!" _Tomoya thought, trying to regain calmness. _"No… I have to get confident and win… show everyone what First Blood is all about!"_

On the other side stood Takane Goodman. She confidently placed her hands on her hips, staring darkly at her adversary. As well as wearing her gothic outfit, Takane now also donned a pair of black gloves, in fear that she might risk breaking a nail during the fight.

With a frown, Chiu observed the blonde girl's sense of fashion. _"High heels in this kind of environment? What the hell was she thinking wearing those? Also, the material of her dress… I cannot quite pinpoint what it's made from… but it doesn't look very durable."_

The match had begun, and already Takane found herself in a perilous predicament. She only moved one step and the heel on her right shoe snapped off! For the first few minutes, Takane spent this time trying to regain her balance. Naturally, Tomoya took advantage of this very rare opportunity. Takane swerved left and right to avoid Tomoya's mid range punches, each one quite close to striking home. Tomoya took a number of steps back, only to rush forward and attempt a flying roundhouse. His attack looked very impressive, and Takane had to lower herself to one knee to avoid contact. The kick just managed to clip her left shoulder.

Takane leapt backwards to buy herself space. With irritation she discarded the high heels to one side, leaving her with just bare feet, but at least she was now able to move normally.

Tomoya ran to her with a flying uppercut in mind, but when he was a mere foot away… Tomoya froze.

Without knowing, the force of Tomoya's flying kick torn through the shoulder strap of her dress… leaving one of her large breasts exposed to the public eye. Camera flashes were seen _everywhere_.

"OH SHIT!" Takane screamed with rage and had to use one hand to conceal her mountain of flesh.

With Tomoya still frozen, whether it was from fear or happiness, Takane seized the moment and, with her free hand, ran and punched Tomoya squarely in the jaw. With nothing to guard his face, Tomoya was knocked out cold.

As Chiu nervously declared the winner, Takane tied a knot in her strap and stomped her way out of the arena, trying her best to ignore the cheering waves of male testosterone. A guard was about to escort her, but he was politely told to 'fuck off and die'.

…

…

**-0-0-**

Mei Narusegawa heard her name being chanted when she set foot on the arena. Her sailor outfit, her adorable face and her insane strength made her one of the firm favourites to win the tournament. She felt a little embarrassed from all the praise, but when she observed her opponent, that expression changed to one of utmost seriousness (though she still looked really cute despite the transformation).

Her opponent was another First Blood elitist named Guarda Tanatru, the same young man who was fighting alongside Mei against the devastating sumo, Hyozanryu. He had a short cut black hairstyle, and was considerably muscular and bulky. Guarda conjured a small plan before the match. When Mei would land the first blow, he could counter by grabbing her arm, and throwing her overhead out of the arena circle.

The match begun and Mei sprinted towards her opponent with an outstretched fist, just as Guarda had predicted… or so he had thought. To his bewilderment, Mei stopped dead in the centre and punched directly into thin air in Guarda's direction. However, the sheer force of her fist caused Guarda to fly out of the circle, despite the distance between them. Landing flat on the ground, Guarda looked at the clouds as he wondered what the hell happened to him. His arms and legs refused to move, so he had to be escorted with a stretcher.

Chiu announced the winner in a full flourish. **"Incredible! After only 4.63 seconds, the winner of this match is Mei Narusegawa!" **

Mei blushed again when she was filled with praise and applause. She proved to all competitors that she was beyond cuteness and strength. Experience from previous tournaments have rewarded her with cunning as well.

…

…

**-0-0-**

Yuki Raiyen, the third First Blood elitist, focused on his opponent with unwavering vision. Like Tomoya, he was of average height and build. His deep crimson hair reached to his shoulders. He appeared to be the strong, silent type, preferring to allow his actions speak louder than words.

His opponent was another karate student named Kenichi Shirahama who at a glance looked to be quite ordinary. He wore a grey martial arts outfit with a yin-yang symbol on his back. His dark brown hair was of mid-length, but parts of it were brushed forward, partially shadowing his face and eyes. For the past few minutes, Kenichi had not moved from his battle stance. His right arm was stretched forward in a fist, whilst the left was an open palm which retreated to his chest.

**-0-0-**

Keitaro, at last finding the time to recuperate, watched the match from the comfort of his room. He seemed to be particularly fascinated with Kenichi's fighting stance, so he stared at the television a little closer.

"_One hand a fist and the other a palm…" _Keitaro studied. _"How does he plan to fight like that?"_

**-0-0-**

Chiu signalled the match to begin, and both competitors ran like the wind. Yuki's combined kicks and punches were swift and deadly. A single strike could easily put Kenichi in the thick of peril. Kenichi however, managed to evade each assault relatively easily.

In under one minute, the two karate students stood a good few metres from each other. Kenichi still looked the same as he did at the beginning, but Yuki was breathing heavily.

Kenichi observed the opposition thoroughly, taking note of Yuki's breathing pattern.

Yuki breathed in.

A right fist struck fast and hard, landing successfully on his chest and right eye. In a blur, Yuki suffered a tremendous stomach ache and his vision was partially blind sighted. A hand palm pushed him away with deadly force, but Kenichi did not finish there. Seizing the opportunity, Kenichi ran forward a yelled a terrific battle cry. He leapt into the air, grabbed hold of Yuki's ears and completely smashed his face in with a right knee.

Blood gushed out of Yuki's nose as he crumpled to the ground, completely wiping him out.

The audience gasped in amazement, which was soon followed by a loud chorus of cheering.

Chiu had the sails knocked right out of her, rendering the idol close to breathless. Finding the energy, she announced the winner; the fighting enigma, Kenichi Shirahama.

Taishi, who was close by Chiu at the time, was deep in thought. _"I heard that name before during the battle royal… hmm… …Kenichi Shirahama… Kenichi… Shira-?!"_

He gasped and shot a glance over to the giant Hayato. Hayato returned the gesture with a simple nod and a smile.

**-0-0-**

He watched Kenichi leave the arena, before he slowly slumped on the floor. By witnessing his fast and fluent fighting style, Keitaro realised Diamonji wasn't the peak of the mountain. Rather, Diamonji was merely the beginning of an exhausting climb.

He continued watching. One was being escorted by a guard, the other escorted with a stretcher. Keitaro however, had little sympathy for the last three guys participating. He remembered Guarda, Tomoya and Yuki as part of the group who delivered 'righteous fury' upon him after he allegedly stole something from Makie, his date during that day. After a short bout of time, another elite First Blood member with long, silky blonde hair arrived on the scene. Naturally, Keitaro knew his appearance, but not his name.

Keitaro then heard Chiu's voice, announcing the arrival of the blonde's opponent.

Keitaro smiled excitedly. If _she _somehow lost this match, the legendary pervert would eat his own glasses.

**-0-0-**

Arata Katatsu looked at the floor and hissed sourly. "Tch, Tomoya, Yuki, Guarda, what a bunch of pussies! I'll show you losers how its done!"

Mana received an impressive ovation, an ovation rivalled only by Mei and Kenichi thus far. After gracefully walking to the arena, she removed her jacket and flung the clothing straight on top of Taishi's head.

"**For those of you who have just joined us, the elegant Mana Tatsumiya faces off against the Elite First Blood karate fighter, Arata Katatsu in the sixth one on one match! Taishi-kun, who do you think will emerge victorious in this standoff?"**

Taishi's voice was muffled under Mana's jacket. "Mmmm… premier de perfume, scent of a christening daffodil…"

Meanwhile Arata practiced with a couple of quick roundhouses, whilst Mana lowered herself into her usual unique fighting stance.

Chiu glanced at Taishi with a facial expression that translated into 'meh?'. **"Well, it appears Taishi-kun is preoccupied, so without further ado, let the sixth match begin!"**

Before they made contact, Arata had a few words to say. His arrogant nature did not go down well with some of the audience. They wanted to see an exchange of fists, not some kind of talk show.

"We all heard about you girl!" He sneered loudly. "Taking out all those First Blood rookies a while ago… you've been quite the talk of Tokyo… such a shame I have to smash in that pretty little face of yours."

Arata listened intently for a reply, but received nothing. This lack of verbal retaliation annoyed the brash young blonde. Normally Arata's tactic was to taunt his opponent, alluring him or her into a false sense of security. Of course, Mana was not waylaid in any way, and remained fixated in her position.

"_Tch, bitch, stop trying to act cool." _Arata muttered.

Both blurred to the centre. Arata attempted to decapitate Mana with a lightning high roundhouse kick. Mana caught the foot as easily as drawing breath. With her other hand, she launched a blasting palm into his stomach. Arata blacked out before crumbling to the ground. It seems like the medical facility will be awfully busy for the rest of tonight.

As Chiu declared the winner, Mana watched the lifeless body of the fourth First Blood victim. Her eyes showed disappointment. After all this time waiting, Mana wanted an opponent that would have least lasted more than three seconds. She sighed and walked up to Taishi, retrieving her jacket in a swift motion before leaving the arena and many fans behind.

**-0-0-**

Guided with a bodyguard, Mana walked through the fields to her temporary room. She crossed opposite paths with Catherine, who was also assisted with a walking suit. For a split moment, the two amazons stopped next to each other, side by side. Both were completely equal in regards to height. The guards didn't want an early confrontation, but they hesitated to make any sudden movements.

Catherine's voice was a little louder than a whisper. "I hope to meet you in the quarter finals."

Mana remained staring ahead. "If so, I hope you provide me with an adequate challenge."

A gush of wind sailed through the otherwise empty ambience.

Finally, Catherine resumed her path towards the arena, which was shortly followed by the footsteps of Mana.

**-0-0-**

"Entry number fifteen, follow me to the arena."

Hearing his serious voice, Mikoto stretched her arms far and wide before lifting herself off the sofa and walking alongside the bodyguard. Her white martial arts clothing fit snugly like a second skin, and each of her fingers wiggled with anticipation. She watched the sky and silently thanked her lucky stars. After surviving the first battle royal, Mikoto had plenty of time to restore her vitality. There was no excuse now. Mikoto had the strength, agility and confidence to see it through the next round.

"_My next opponent is pretty dangerous…" _Mikoto summarised. _"…but I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve too. If she thinks I'm an easy ride, she better think again!"_

As Mikoto walked closer to the arena, the sounds of the audience gradually grew louder and louder. As she set foot on the familiar circle, the ambience became overwhelming thanks to the hundreds of people cheering their hearts out.

**-0-0-**

"Don't w-worry little sister, super Mikoto is gonna take her out!" Said Tenma in a wavering voice.

Yakumo knew her older sibling felt a great anguish inside her. Over the years they have developed a tight bond between them, so it was only natural Yakumo would feel pain within her sister.

"Have faith nee-san." Yakumo replied, quietly as always. She gently patted Tenma's knee to enforce her words. "She will pull through. I promise."

Tenma watched on with ovals of emotion. _"I hope so."_

…

…

From the topmost column of steps which separated the audience, a young man surveyed every head, looking for a certain somebody. He had an average height but certainly an odd appearance. He had a bowl shaped black hair style, dark eyes and skin that was slightly pale. He wore a smart navy coloured uniform which only left his hands and face exposed. On his feet were a pair of ordinary black shoes. The man's expression was… well expressionless. That wasn't to say he was cold blooded or demonic by any means. He was just… a little on the weird side.

"…" The man thought (or didn't) as he slowly descended the steps. The noise didn't seem to bother him one bit, as if he could mute the surround sound with his mind.

From a distance he squinted his eyes. He detected some longish black hair with two miniature pony tails placed on each side.

"…_there she is…"_

…

…

Tenma's hands were clasped together, praying for Mikoto's well being. Tenma wasn't stupid. She knew this Catherine soldier was a dangerous opponent. If Catherine could eliminate fourteen fighters without aid, then what chance did her friend have in causing an upset victory?

She sighed soundlessly. In her mind, Mikoto was better than her in every foreseeable way. Her friend was more mature, intelligent, athletic… and her face and physique was more than capable of attracting a stampede of guys. Yet in spite of this, Mikoto never showed off her superiority. Mikoto genuinely enjoyed the company of her pals, and if trouble was afoot, Mikoto would never hesitate to make a stand.

Tenma lowered her head as she recalled the glory days. She instinctively felt a sharp pain in her stomach. At first she thought she was hungry, but Tenma didn't feel like eating. Then she realised it was a nervous reaction, but what caused her to feel this way?

She sharply turned to her left. Sitting next to her was the man with the bowl-cut hairstyle and blue uniform. He adjusted his head a couple of inches in order to see her.

"Hi, Tsukamoto-san." He greeted the short girl. "Hi, Tsukamoto-san's younger sister." He greeted Yakumo.

Short breaths, followed by longer breaths, followed by 'when the hell did he show up, but who cares because I really like him' breaths.

"Karasuma-kun!" Tenma cried out. Despite his overall oddness, Tenma had developed a major crush on the guy ever since she first met him during high school… and she still had that crush even now. "I thought you weren't going to come! _Why is he wearing his school uniform?_"

Yakumo faced the guy with widened eyes… but she was nowhere near as surprised as her bubbly older sister. "Oji-san…"

"Sorry I'm late." The guy, known as Oji Karasuma, added. Tenma was expecting him to follow up with a reason why he arrived at this hour, but Oji said nothing more. It was just the way he is. "Have I missed much?"

"Mm!" Tenma nodded. "You missed all eight battle royals, and most of the first one on one fights! The seventh match is about to start right now, and Mikoto-chan is in it!"

Oji stroked his chin as his eyes took note of the circle and the two female competitors. "I see."

As soon as the match began, Tenma shielded her eyes in an instant. She couldn't bare to watch.

**-0-0-**

Mikoto did not fare so well during the early stages. She struggled to keep up with Catherine's murderous assaults, but even trying such a feat proved futile. She swung numerous fists at her, but Catherine evaded them all without breaking a sweat.

Mikoto blinked.

A palm to the thigh caused Mikoto to lose her footing. Another palm to the stomach slammed her straight to the ground. Mikoto was shaking as her lips kissed the concrete. Her vision was blurred, but quickly came to focus when she looked up to see her opponent. Catherine looked coldly at Mikoto, her long ponytail fluttering with the breeze. She stood in a waiting stance, her shoulders were relaxed, but the tips of her fingers were slightly curved… waiting…

Mikoto ignored the ringing sound in her head, and bravely worked her way to meet Catherine eye to eye, spitting some blood to one side. Mikoto charged into her, feeling stressed, agitated that nobody should be blessed with so much strength. A well placed palm thrust forced her to the ground again.

She could hear the audience… counting…

"ONE!… … TWO!… … THREE!"

At four, she scrambled to her feet, blood now dripping from both sides of her mouth. Her body was fragile, as if someone wielded a cudgel and took one massive swing at her. Mikoto knew if she fell for a third time, this match would surely be over.

"Hah! Is that the best you can do? News flash! I'm… (cough) I'm still standing!" Mikoto shouted, wheezing at the pain from her ribs.

Catherine stood poised, perhaps wondering if her opponent had gone slightly mad, or was just in denial.

"What are you waiting for?!" Mikoto added, pride evident in her voice. "Hit me with everything you got!"

Solemnly, Catherine nodded. "As you wish."

Accelerating her speed, Catherine ran with grace, a grace that which followed with an outstretched arm. Catherine's right hand was going to be the killing blow…

…but her eyes widened when she was stopped dead in her tracks. Actually… she was caught. Two hands grasped tightly on Catherine's right arm.

"Gotcha!" Mikoto said, grinning like a cat cornering a mouse. _"Now all I have to do is lift her over my shoulders and it is game, set and match!"_

Mikoto steadily turned deeper shades of red. She could feel her own muscles tightening, but nothing happened. Catherine stood firmly to the ground, not wanting to budge a single inch.

"_Come on… just a little more…"_

**-0-0-**

Still recovering from a few dull injuries, the former delinquent watched the match inside his room. Harima and Mikoto weren't exactly the best of friends, nor the worst of enemies. They shared a few conversations between them, and it was very rare to see just the two of them talking together. Even so, watching the screen caused him to snarl through clenched teeth. She was suffering, and he did not enjoy Mikoto feeling this way. Then, suddenly, Harima watched Catherine, with one arm, slam Mikoto to the ground. He watched her bleeding…

Shoulder tackling his door, Harima burst into the night sky and ran with everything he got. His intentions were pure and simple. Unfortunately numerous guards caught up with him, and piled him down to the earth.

"Da-damn it." He grunted, crawling on all fours.

With all the weight slammed into him, Harima could not move, but as he looked at the building next door, Hanai had charged a hole through his own wall! With most of the guards preoccupied with Harima, Mikoto's childhood friend blasted into the grass like a roaring titan.

**-0-0-**

Everyone was expecting Mikoto to stay down, but if anything, the pain fuelled her to an overflowing degree. Catherine's eyes shot open when Mikoto flipped to her feet and followed through with rekindled speed. Out of nowhere she attacked.

"_**FLOWER TIGER FIST!" **_She roared, her attack, technique and power mimicking Hanai's flawlessly.

The glowing energy emitting from her fist felt like a boiling oil. The fangs appeared on her teeth, which at this moment, looked more furious when Hanai executed the move.

Despite the surprise, speed and strength… Catherine blocked the move by forming a cross with both arms. Mikoto was amazed. She tried to drive the move further, desperately wanting to penetrate the defence… but Catherine remained focused and unmoving.

Mikoto's strength was fading away…

…her ki fuelled attack was slowly evaporating.

In a discrete motion, Catherine pulled her right arm back, and sprung into Mikoto with a final palm thrust.

Mikoto didn't know where she was. She couldn't hear anything. Perhaps the audience were silent as they watched over her still form. As she stared at the sky however, she came to learn it was her lack of conscious that dulled her awareness.

"ONE…!"

Mikoto could scarcely hear them. Hear the audience, where were they coming from? Her vision was blurred to blackening.

"FIVE…!"

"_Five?" _She thought. _"What… what about two, three and four?"_

Now time was deceiving her.

It wasn't the concept of losing that annoyed her. It was the concept of losing horribly. All her vigorous training amounted to absolutely nothing.

"EIGHT…!"

Catherine turned to walk away. The fight was over. Her job was done.

…

…

Yet something in the mind told her to turn around.

A high roundhouse kick caught her on the side of her face. Surprised, Catherine fell to one knee and felt the impact where the foot met flesh. She looked to see Mikoto standing… each breath gasping for life.

"Heh… wanted to get… at… …least… one hit…"

Mikoto fainted before collapsing.

When Hanai arrived to the scene, it was too late. He watched Mikoto being carried away with the stretcher. He was used to watching other fighters being escorted in the same fashion, but had never seen his childhood friend in such a helpless state.

"MIKOTO-CHAN…" He shouted emotionally, feeling his blood rising. "I… I… _I'm too late…"_

Hanai looked over to see the woman responsible for all of this. He didn't know whether to cry or angrily charge towards her.

"_No… it is dishonourable to attack recklessly… I will wait for the opportunity to arise… then I will defeat her…"_

The audience watched on as five guards burst into the arena, two of them grabbing him strongly by the shoulders and slowly dragged him back to his own room.

"Guards take him away and make sure he is issued with extra security!" The one in charge said, snarling. "If he resists, disqualify him!"

"Yes, chief!" The rest said in unison.

Hanai lowered his residence, allowing the guards to do their job.

Catherine looked at the floor… before staring at the disappearing form of Hanai. She appeared to be perplexed from the recent events taking place.

"**The winner of this match, Catherine Jordan." **Chiu announced, sighing inwardly. She knew it was a one sided struggle, but admired Mikoto's ability to fight to the very end. Taishi nodded deeply and copied Chiu's emotions.

…

"M… Mikoto-chan…" Tenma whimpered with a tear.

Her younger sister touched her hand for consolation.

"Don't worry nee-san." Yakumo assured. "She will make a quick recovery."

"Ye…yeah… I know she will…"

Oji never took his eyes away from the match, absorbing every fine detail from start to finish. "Your sister is right, Tsukamoto-san. Suo-san has a great level of endurance."

Tenma felt her heart stop when a hand was placed on her shoulder. _His _hand. It felt warm, comforting, something she truly needed at this moment of sadness.

"_Karasuma-kun."_

…and then, Oji whipped his hand away, allowing something miniature to escape from his palm.

"There was a spider on your shoulder." He said normally.

"Er… oh, thanks!" Came Tenma's reluctant reply.

…

…

**-0-0-**

The last of the eight matches introduced the remaining two competitors; Takeda Ikki and Ryota Haken. Ryota was the fifth member of First Blood. Aside from the standard outfit, he had a fluffy beige afro and a pair of stylish silver sunglasses. He was the tallest of the five, standing in at six foot one. His build was medium and appeared to look very athletic.

If ever a fan girl existed they were now all on their feet, half cheering for the boxing legacy, the other half cheering for Ryota. A battle between stallions, it would seem.

Makie closed one eye as she attempted to take a zoomed in snapshot of Takeda with her mobile phone.

Haitani glanced with his eyes and noticed this. _"Heh, cute… a schoolgirl crush."_

Shirai leaned over slightly, and made an angry noise within his throat. _"Hmph! I don't see what's so special about him!"_

The match had begun, and Ryota rushed into the fray with a rapid onslaught of flying kicks. Immediately, Takeda took evasion action, avoiding each kick faster than Ryota could execute his feet. With a curving sidestep, Takeda begun his counter attack. Ryota had a hard time dodging his punches, since the boxing legacy was capable of unleashing six swings in a second. Ryota blocked one of his punches, but that one punch alone felt like a concrete sphere crushing into his arm. He was thankful the bone didn't shatter on contact.

There was no use continuing this defence, so Ryota took a leap backwards, lest he would succumb from multiple injuries. Ryota breathed deeply, tending this nerve-wracking pain with his uninjured arm. On the other hand, Takeda remained strong and healthy. Ryota feared his opponent could last all night without dropping a sweat.

The karate fighter carefully studied the boxer. _"Of course." _He thought.

Naturally, a boxer's weakness was his inability to kick, and in a boxing match, the strict rule was to never attack a man below the waist. Therefore, a smart boxer would always guard his upper body until the opportunity arises to strike the other man down. Despite being brilliant in his profession, Takeda had the ordinary stance of any boxer.

Ryota grinned. The exposed legs were like two flashing targets.

He ran towards Takeda with the intention of low kicking his right thigh, but to his amazement, Takeda swiftly crouched to both knees and shattered Ryota's shin with a vicious left hook. Ryota was in absolute agony, limping on one leg. Whenever he tried to lay a little weight on his other foot, the pain throbbed angrily, his nervous system screaming out of control. Howling, Ryota sat backwards and tended to his injury.

Takeda rose to his feet and relaxed when he looked at the state of his opponent.

"Sorry pal, but where I come from, that's the oldest trick in the book!" Takeda said proudly. _"Over the years I have adapted my style, so I can easily hold my own in any battle, no matter how strong, fast or crafty they are. Ryota-kun, you underestimated me and paid the price."_

When the medical team rushed to aid the karate student, Hayato crossed his arms and smiled. _"Takeda-kun, you are truly the epitome of finesse and grace. It has been an honour training with you."_

"**Ryota Haden is unable to fight! The winner of this match, and the forth participant for the quarter finals is the boxing legacy, Takeda Ikki!"**

The teeth on Takeda's smile could easily pass for a toothpaste commercial. He stood proudly and waved graciously to all the squealing fan girls.

…

…

**-0-0-**

Keitaro stared unblinking at the television screen. He had watched all seven matches with an increased interest for each one. All the fighting styles, personality clashes, the blood, the sweat, and the despair of losing. Excitement and fear were perhaps his two strongest emotions struggling for dominance. The anticipation for his next fight was just too overwhelming.

There were no intermissions this time. Nearly fifteen minutes after Takeda was announced the winner, there was some brief commentary from Chiu and Taishi. Soon afterwards, Taishi obtained a familiar looking bucket, holding it out gracefully for her beautiful comrade.

"**What are you waiting for young mademoiselle?!" **Taishi said, almost too eagerly. **"Reach down and grab one of my spectacular golden balls!"**

Keitaro groaned. That joke was becoming way old.

He retained his previous emotions when Chiu plucked out a golden ball. The way she held the sphere was like holding Keitaro's heart, for Keitaro's beating rhythm stopped dead in its tracks.

Keitaro inched closer to the screen. Who would be declared first, and who will they be up against?

The audience waited with a silent excitement. Chiu carefully opened the ball to reveal the paper inside. She read the two words very carefully. There was no mistake about it…

"**The first person participating for the quarter finals… is Keitaro Urashima!"**

Upon hearing this, the audience cheered and chanted his nickname. A sharp sting of pain rocketed through his stomach, but Keitaro watched on… waiting for his opponent to be called out. His thoughts were becoming clearer now. He began to summarise how well he would face off depending on the next chosen participant.

Hanai has proved to be quite the intelligent warrior. He was serious, determined and strong… though the gruelling battle with Harima has left him fatigued and wounded. Though it was a cowardly thought, Keitaro would maybe have less trouble with Hanai's weakened state.

Takeda was a lightning fast boxer, deadly and well experienced. One or two well placed jabs was enough to put Keitaro's lights out. Keitaro would have to be extra careful if he should be faced one on one with him.

Takane was a psycho. He remembered his first encounter with the girl. He would have been burnt to a crisp if it wasn't for her companion… speaking of which… Mei's strength… last time Keitaro checked, he had never been catapulted in the air before. Mei's 'one punch kill' became famous for the crowd, and infamous for her opponents.

Catherine. Keitaro gulped when he watched her in action. Thus far, Catherine had only used her arms and hands for fighting and defending… but what power. She could easily give the best a run for their money, so against her, even a miracle would prove futile.

Kenichi didn't really stand out from the crowd, at least in terms of appearance. Keitaro thought he was, like most of them, an advanced karate fighter, but that running knee drive was definitely not something out of the karate text book. Kenichi was full of mystery, but nonetheless dangerous.

Mana… did not need an introduction. Her beauty, grace and dexterity were all absolutely phenomenal. He had a gut feeling Mana would trample the competition, no matter how amazing they were. If he was faced off against her… he may as well bring with him a white flag.

With all these thoughts raging through his head, a nervous chill spread throughout his body… but was suddenly nullified with a pleasant, relaxing warmth. How could he forget that she was within him…

"_How are you feeling Kei-kun?"_

Keitaro sighed and spoke softly. "A bit strange, but okay."

"_Do not worry… our hearts beat as one… you will guide me… I will guide you…"_

"Thanks Sayo-san… heh… it feels odd… but with your presence… I feel… kinda confident."

Chiu reached for a second ball, again, opening the contents and reading them.

Keitaro clenched both hands.

"**His opponent will be Takane Goodman!"**

He nodded to himself. The odds of defeating such a girl were next to zero, but even with those odds riding against him, Keitaro stood like a soldier and waited for the guard to arrive.

Chiu proceeded to withdraw and open the remaining balls, calling out the names in a calm and steady manner. Once everything was said and done, the line up for the quarter finals were as follows; Hanai will be taking on Kenichi in the second round, Mei would be up against Takeda in the third, and Mana will be battling against Catherine in the fourth. Only then had Keitaro realised just how few people were left competing. From what started off with an army had swiftly reduced to just eight… and he was one of them.

The knock on the door alerted him.

"Well Sayo-san, let's do our best." Keitaro said confidently.

"_Mm!" _Replied the spirit inside.

Keitaro could picture an image of her standing beside him, focused and determined.

**-0-0-**

Mana, like the others, took a short shower before the announcement of the quarter finalists. As well as wearing her fighting uniform, a red towel was placed around her shoulders and her hair was still damp. On the screen showed the empty circle, empty, save for Chiu and Taishi, commentating to themselves about the matches to come. As well as the audience, also stood watching were the interesting combination of Hayato, Masayoshi and Yue, all patiently waiting in a far away distance. Mana still wondered why Yue was given a special guest seat of honour, but then realised Yue was Yue. The blunette made a habit of appearing out of nowhere.

What were once murmurs and whispers erupted into an explosion of cheers and screams. The man dressed in his golden gear walked nervously to one side of the arena. Mana raised a quizzical eyebrow. "_What on earth was he wearing?" _She sighed.

His knees were shaking, his face sweating, but overall Keitaro didn't seem half as scared as he was in his previous match. Mana smiled as she watched her manager and apprentice, who right now appeared to be making a name for himself.

"_Good luck, both of you."_

**-0-0-**

"… **and Keitaro's opponent will be the feisty, dangerous (and slightly mad) blonde bombshell from America… Takane Goodman!"**

Takane this time wore an indigo coloured dress, though it still retained the same material and style like before… so it was a wonder if she just grabbed the same dress and painted it a different colour. Sensibly, the tall woman opted to wear ordinary, comfortable shoes, considering her high heels were the only thing handicapping her otherwise successful last round performance.

Sadly, like before, her outfit didn't exactly compliment with her lack of charm. Much to Chiu's surprise, Takane stomped her way towards the internet idol before snatching away the microphone from her limp hands.

"**WHAT DO YOU MEAN BLONDE BOMBSHELL?!" **She roared with extra volume. **"ARE YOU BRANDING ME AS SOME KIND OF STEREOTYPE?!"**

"Woah! Hey! I didn't mean to cause offen…"

Before Chiu could finish, Takane pushed her down with one hand and proceeded to walk back to the circle, leaving Taishi to help the idol back on her feet. Before Keitaro could worry for Chiu's safety, Takane then took five steps towards the concerned man and stopped when she reached a two metre distance between them. She pointed at him, like he was the cause of everything problematic.

"**YOU! I can't believe a scumbag pervert like you managed to get to the quarter finals!" **She shouted, before now addressing her words to the public. **"I mean come on people, did you know this was the same guy who molested me just as I finished my entry form?! That filthy specimen massaged my puppies for fuck sake!"**

"Well duh! He _is _the legendary pervert!" One male audience member shouted out. The people around that man agreed, and it was not before long nearly everyone was chanting 'legendary pervert!', over and over.

Keitaro sighed woefully. It looked like hell would freeze over before Takane would forget that little incident.

"_Um… Kei-kun?" _The ghost within whispered.

"Hmm… what is it Sayo-san?" Keitaro replied, quietly enough so Takane wouldn't pick up on it. Besides Takane was still busy ranting in her usual loud way.

"_I don't understand, do you enjoy massaging pets?"_

"Uhhh…"

Keitaro paused to think. Sayo, despite being a spirit, was still mentally a child, and so didn't quite understand the situation.

"…it's kind of hard to describe."

"_Oh, okay."_

Thank heavens Takane didn't know the legendary pervert had an innocent girl locked inside him. If she obtained that knowledge, forget the puppies, Takane would be having kittens.

"_Actually…" _Keitaro thought, adjusting his glasses. _"…this isn't such a bad thing. Once she stops talking, which may take forever, she's bound to be out of breath… meaning… I could catch her off guard. True, it might be a cheap shot, but it could be the only way to beat her."_

"**Takane Goodman." **Taishi spoke, and for once, he sounded completely serious. **"The audience are eagerly waiting for the match to start. If you don't comply within ten seconds, I will disqualify you and herby make the legendary pervert the winner by default."**

The principal looked cross as he forced both hands into his pockets. "Hmph! Since when did he have the authority to disqualify people?!"

"Although he is right." Hayato pointed out. "The people, as much as I, prefer to see the match happening before sunrise."

Masayoshi sighed. "I guess so."

Yue slurped on her drink of marmalade milkshake, but her eyes waited impatiently for the fight to begin. Though she didn't show it, Yue was steadily becoming excited.

The blonde giant stared intently at Takane, before then casting a look upon Keitaro.

"_This Takane girl has an overwhelming amount of ki, though at times, its circulations shift around in completely random patterns… on the other hand, Keitaro looks like a very interesting person. Last round his ki was very limited, but now he has… yes… he has an outer layer and an inner layer… very much like… hmmm…"_

Takane huffed and puffed, but reluctantly shoved the microphone in Taishi's chest.

"You okay?" Taishi asked Chiu. "Maybe I should take over for a bit."

Chiu nodded. "Okay… thanks. _C'mon Keitaro, rip that bitch's head off!"_

Keitaro took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The audience were waiting. His friends were waiting. Yue's self proclaimed friends were waiting. For a moment it appeared the world struck silent.

Whilst Haitani and Shirai looked on expectantly, Makie tightened her lips and clenched both hands. _"You can do it Senpai! I know you can!"_

Taishi opened his eyes. The time was now.

"**LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! BOYS AND GIRLS! MAY THE FIRST TUFTEE QUARTER FINAL MATCH… … BEGIN!"**

Keitaro rushed without hesitation. Nobody had ever seen him so confident before, especially his opponent. Takane watched him with wide-eyed astonishment. Was this the same guy that had repeatedly, and pathetically apologised to her some hours ago?

His hand glowed with tremendous power. When he was within an inch of Takane, that power was unleashed.

"_**OKUZUUKAKA WA OMUZIMU!"**_

…

…

…

…

Keitaro stared at his attack with fascination. This time he could see a vast whiteness appear around his hand… a large, glowing star, illuminating the arena with a terrific moonlight effect.

"_So it looks… like that…" _Keitaro thought, still amazed he was able to execute such energy.

The heat and light eventually vaporised. He could still feel the cool air his hand had thrust into. He then glanced downwards, and sure enough, Takane had been completely laid out by his attack. He approached her motionless form, feeling guilty for what he had caused.

…

…

…

To his horror, she suddenly disappeared into a cloud of black smoke!

"Too slow."

The real Takane didn't even look at him as she, with one arm, chopped sideways into his back. Keitaro fell to his knees before his face fell to the ground. He readied himself even as the audience counted upwards to six. Since when did so much time pass by so quickly? Back on his feet, Keitaro and Takane slowly circled each other, waiting to see who would make the next move. Keitaro already felt drained, realising his powerful attack was a double edged sword. Still, he wasn't going to back down just yet. He got this far, so it would prove pointless to give up now.

**-0-0-**

"_So she is a master of shadows." _Mana summarised, her eyes focused on the screen. _"A rare, selective breed of warriors with a unique range of abilities… but their true focus relies on duplicating themselves… in other words… shadow clones. Not only are these clones mere illusions, but contain the same physicality of their human counterparts, similar to what the ninja used against Taishi Kuhonbutsu."_

She narrowed her eyes as she continued watching.

"_However, a single clone can exert much stamina…"_

**-0-0-**

Takane quickly grew tired of the waiting game, so she lunged forward into Keitaro, hurling a barrage of physical pain. A straight left fist was followed by a straight right. Then a left uppercut was followed by a small right jab. Keitaro avoided the first blow, but had to block the others with his left arm. The attacks were simply too fast for him to handle. What's more, they seem to have the same impact as Diamonji's own strength, making Takane an even greater opponent than he had originally anticipated.

A full circle roundhouse kick appeared out of nowhere, lifting the lower part of her dress. Keitaro could see the attack in slow motion, though in reality, it was lightning fast. Keitaro stood boggle-eyed as the sole of her shoe met with the side of his head.

His vision was starting to get blurry, but eventually Keitaro stood upright again, just as the audience were about to reach double figures.

Keitaro stood there, pale and wide-eyed. A small liquid of blood trickled out of his nose, which was strange considering Takane's attack landed nowhere near his nose.

"_Kei-kun, the fear is just an illusion emitting from her." _Sayo assured him, but Keitaro shook his head in response.

"No!" Keitaro replied. "That's not why I'm acting this way! It's just… it's… look! I can't really explain it!"

Takane observed Keitaro with disgust. Not only had he refused to die, his nose was also bleeding, possibly the cause of him thinking about something perverted.

"Why are you looking at me like that?!" Screamed Takane. "You having sexual fantasies about me?!"

Keitaro waved both hands in denial. "Nonono! It's… ARGH! I CAN'T SAY!"

The two of them stopped moving for the time being. They were a couple of metres apart, but Keitaro decided to widen the distance by taking a few extra steps back. It was bizarre to see the two warriors suddenly cease fighting. The audience wondered what the hell was going on.

"_Come to think of it… something never felt right from the get go." _Takane thought, wondering what made her stop to think in the first place.

Four the last hour, the cool breeze had not dropped a single Fahrenheit… yet why did her match with Keitaro make her feel so bitterly cold inside?

A dramatic change of gale lifted her dress upwards to her hips, revealing her legs, thighs and belly button. Keitaro had a good long look this time, and was on the verge of collapsing due to shock.

"Oh wow! Big hairy deal! You caught a glimpse of my underwear!" Shouted Takane. "You… uh…"

She instinctively traced a finger between her legs. What she felt was… well it wasn't a hairy deal… more like a hair_less_ deal.

She tightly scrunched her eyes and wailed at the top of her voice.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD! I FORGOT TO PUT ON MY PANTIES!"

Everyone's jaw dropped like a cash register, with the only exceptions being Keitaro and Yue. Keitaro because he already knew beforehand, and Yue because she was busy choking on her own straw.

Keitaro gulped. "I-I think she figured it out." He said, weakly and lamely.

"_Oh my, I remember forgetting my underwear when I was in pre-school." _Sayo innocently pointed out.

"SAYO-SAN YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Keitaro shouted.

Takane's eyes were fire. Her face, the grim reaper. **"T**_**h**_**At **_**I**_**s **_**i**_**T… y**_**O**_**u Ar**_**E**_** gOi**_**N**_**g **_**T**_**o Pe**_**R**_**iS**_**h**_**."**

A familiar, shadowy flame smothered itself all over Takane's right hand, an attack Keitaro dreaded since their first encounter. His legs refused to respond so he prepared by blocking with both arms. Takane ran straight into Keitaro, but instead of the expected collision, Keitaro watched only smoke, followed by her sudden disappearance. The original Takane appeared behind him and struck her fiery knuckles into his back, resulting in him collapsing to the ground for a third time.

"_Ugh… damn! She tricked me again…"_

He could smell the smouldering flesh from his back. He didn't scream, but tears were streaming down his face. Luckily, he remembered to roll rapidly sideways so the flames were quickly extinguished… but he could still feel the horrible, lingering pain. Keitaro briefly considered his opponent had saved all these special attacks just to punish a certain pervert. He had to admit, a tiny part of him did feel privileged in that respect.

"… SEVEN…! …EIGHT…!" The audience chanted.

Keitaro snapped out of his trance and staggered to his feet once again. Takane was livid.

"DAMN IT! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST FUCKING CROAK?!" She snapped.

Before he opened his mouth, Takane leapt backwards and ran in blistering speeds around the outer circle of the arena. It was an indigo blur at first, but when Takane stopped, three clones of her appeared, north, south, east and west… and Keitaro found himself on the centre of the compass.

Chiu nearly took a step back in surprise. "This is just like that time you faced off against Kaede." She quietly said to Taishi.

Taishi folded his arms and nodded, but his eyes were focused on the match. _"Will Keitaro meet with a similar fate?"_

…and, much like Kaede's attack, the four Takanes all rushed into the middle, hopefully taking out the pervert in the process.

Keitaro spun to all sides. It was like four bulls rushing headstrong for a fully fledged gore attack.

"_Kei-kun! Jump!"_

"Huh? Sayo-san?"

"_Please, don't think about it, just jump!"_

Keitaro braced himself. The feeling of his legs had slowly returned to him, but was it enough?

"I'm not a very good jumper."

"_Trust me!"_

Keitaro closed his eyes and slightly bent his knees. "Well… okay… three…"

"…_two…"_

"…one…"

"_NOW!"_

Following her command, Keitaro's feet sprung to life as he leapt vertically in the air. The spirit must had guided his movement because Keitaro jumped much higher than he had imagined, his legs feeling weightless for a moment. His sense of gravity had changed as well, for instead of plummeting like a stone, Keitaro descended ever so slowly, almost floating. He, and everyone else were amazed beyond belief!

When his feet touched the ground, he noticed all four Takanes in what could be described as an orgy quadruplet, since they all collided head first into one another, causing them all to collapse backwards. The clones then disappeared into smoke, leaving the real Takane in her own agony.

Chiu covered her mouth in shock. _"Oh my gosh! That was brilliant!"_

Taishi, meanwhile, magically obtained a pen and notepad, frantically scribbling words down. "When-people-multiply-into-four-and-attack-from-all-sides-jump-very-high."

Keitaro breathed heavily. The satisfaction of being triumphant outweighed all the aches and pains he suffered throughout the fight. Again, he had Sayo to thank for her efforts.

"I can't believe it!" Keitaro said to himself. "We won… we won!"

…

"No… you… fucking… haven't…"

Keitaro gasped. She was battered and injured but Takane nonetheless steadily rose to her feet. "I will never lose to a perverted shit like you." She whispered sourly.

Takane crossed her forearms and a dark crimson glow began to surround her. She winced as she felt the ki leaking out of her body. With a final scream, clouds of smoke circulated around the arena, which later formulated into no less than thirty clones!

"Holy hell…" Keitaro said softly. As if one Takane wasn't bad enough… now he was up against an entire army of them.

"DOG PILE HIM!" One of them ordered, and the rest closed into him.

Even if Keitaro decided to leap again, they would all be waiting for him to land… and when he did, Keitaro would be literally torn apart. There had to be another solution.

He could feel the ki emitting from his hand. There was nothing else he could do, but pray and hope he would attack the right one.

"_Hah!" _Takane thought. _"That palm attack may be impressive, but there is no way you can take us all out!"_

"_**OKUZUUKAKA WA OMUZIMU!" **_Keitaro roared, as he brought down his attack straight into the ground, boring a star shaped hole in the process.

The whole arena shook violently. Keitaro crouched to avoid losing his footing, but the clones, still in shock, had all toppled over, disappearing into clouds of smoke when they did so.

Takane was wide eyed as she stood up, alone. She tried everything, but had depleted all of her energy in the process… and her opponent was still on his feet, albeit barely.

"No! I cannot lose!" She screamed.

She ran and delivered a straight punch into Keitaro's right cheek. Keitaro took the hit without so much as a flinch. With the spiritual energy still glowing brightly, Keitaro repeated his attack. Both of their moves were weakened, but Keitaro managed to force her back on the ground, causing dust to scatter around the place.

…

…

He waited, but she didn't move.

"**Takane Goodman is unable to battle! The winner of this match, and our first semi-finalist, is Keitaro Urashima! Seriously everyone, that was one hell of a match! **_… …Keitaro, first you defeat Diamonji and now her… I don't know how you do it… but… you're pretty amazing."_

Taishi smiled from Chiu's spoken words. It was normally times like this where he would shout out random insane sentences to the public. This time, hearing all the audience cheer, scream and even whistle for Keitaro was satisfaction alone. _"Not bad, my comrade, not bad."_

Makie punched a fist in the air with utmost joy. Haitani and Shirai hugged and jumped together. Haruna's group also cheered together, mainly because Haruna won another bet, which again she used Nodoka's money with.

Keitaro paid no attention to the surroundings. He knelt down and gently touched Takane's face, which, thankfully, caused her to stir a little.

"Are you okay?" Keitaro asked quietly.

Takane's tired eyes met Keitaro's own. She smiled with warmth and instinctively touched Keitaro's face in return. "Yeah… … I'm… okay… …heh y'know… up close, you look kind of…"

…

The dust had cleared away, allowing everyone to see the moment shared between the two.

At once, Keitaro felt like throwing up. His attack reduced Takane's dress into nothing but scattered shreds which were all thrown around the arena. She was completely naked, except for her gloves and boots, allowing Keitaro to see a close up view of _them_… and _that_. Every guy with a camera showed no mercy, whilst Keitaro repeatedly begged for mercy.

"_Oh dear…" _Sayo said with a tone of embarrassment.

Unsurprisingly, Takane screamed like an out of control toddler.

"WAIT! Calm down! Let me help you!" Keitaro assured, in a desperate attempt to not be locked away.

Keitaro began to remove his outfit. His idea was to wrap it round Takane so she wouldn't be nude anymore. Takane stopped screaming and eyed Keitaro suspiciously. When she realised what he was doing… Takane screamed even louder.

"ARRRGGGHH! YOU'RE STRIPPING YOURSELF SO YOU CAN HAVE YOUR WAY WITH ME?! YOU SICK, DISEASE RIDDEN PIECE OF FUCK!"

"What?! NO!" Keitaro protested. He could just picture the residents staring at him with revulsion. "I had clothes underneath! I HAD CLOTHES UNDERNEATH!"

With renewed energy, Takane punched Keitaro straight into the jaw before running away with hellish speed. It was quite possibly the worst day of her life.

…

…

_Author: The five first blood members are original characters created by me. I was going to describe them in the author section, but I think I've given them enough detail in the chapter itself._

_I promise the tournament arc will not last much longer. I admit I miss writing the good old classic Hinata-Sou chapters._

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I thought the 'pervert' versus the girl with malfunctioning clothes would be a perfect match up, and after reading this, I hope you agree as well! See you next time!_


	26. Clash of the Amazons

**Chapter Twenty Six - Clash of the Amazons**

…

Masayoshi was deep in thought, thinking about the man who was once a student some years ago. Never in his life had he remembered someone change so dramatically. As a student, Keitaro was a stranger to the world. Nobody acknowledged him nor did he acknowledge anyone. His eyes, Masayoshi recalled, were nearly void of life, eyes connected to a person that never truly belonged in this university. Masayoshi had learned from Keitaro's previous school that he passed the entrance exams on his forth attempt… so why after his first few months at Toudai did he suddenly become so… unmotivated? Why did he leave without attaining a single record of achievement?

The principal sighed and lightly closed his eyes. From the twelve years he had worked at Toudai, he could still remember every student that had laid foot on this soil, each student unique and talented in their own individual way. Out of all these students however, it was Keitaro that he remembered the most.

Secondly, there was the matter of the short, blue haired girl, Yue Ayase. Without hesitation, Yue clearly stated she was living with Keitaro, but Masayoshi wondered, was she Keitaro's girlfriend, or simply his roommate?

Masayoshi didn't want to appear rude by asking Yue about her private life, but a little curiosity got the better of him. Besides, one or two questions would surely prove harmless.

"So… Yue-san. You said you were living with Keitaro…"

Yue did not immediately reply. Only when she finished her juice did she start talking. "Yes, I live with Keitaro-san… and three other girls."

His eyes widened at this. "Three others?!"

"Yeah, one of them is about the same age as me, whilst the other two are a few years older. We all live in the same place together, and we have to pay him money or else he would throw us out."

He could not believe the words coming out of her mouth.

"There was this one time during December where I played this quiz game. I answered a few questions incorrectly, and Keitaro-san watched me as I was forced to strip to my underwear. Come to think of it, he has seen all of us naked a couple of times. I get used to it though."

"_Good heavens! Keitaro, just who the hell are you?!" _Masayoshi thought.

"What about you?" Yue asked.

Masayoshi answered, trying to keep his voice steady. "Me? Well I live with my wife, married ten years, and I have a boy and girl, aged thirteen and nine."

"Oh." Yue replied.

And that was that. Masayoshi had just undergone the most awkward conversation in his entire life. He realised there were times like this where he wished he kept quiet.

…

…

Meanwhile, with the Tuftee audience, Taishi had plunged into the thick of the atmosphere, watching hands swaying around as he exchanged merchandise for money. He was carrying a large tray which mostly displayed Keitaro action figures, including some limited rare edition ones where he is wearing the golden outfit. Other accessories included mugs, yoyos, watches… and even tampons were present and ready for purchase… though only the truly crazy ones would buy a tampon with Keitaro's face on it.

Keitaro's name alone sparked off a variety of conversations, normally held between groups of three or four people. Even strangers were talking to other strangers about the guy. Girls who used to go to the same college as him had mentioned his name like some kind of heroic worship. Male teenagers were ruffling up their hair so it would look as messy as Keitaro's, labelling it the 'Shima Style'.

There was no doubt about it. Keitaro was the talk of the town.

**-0-0-**

Keitaro traced a finger down from his bare chest to his stomach, feeling the many layers of bandages wrapped around his flesh. He took a few moderately strong blows from the front of his body, but the nastiest strike he suffered was the fiery attack caused by Takane Goodman. Not only had it left an ugly, largish sized scar on his back, but he could feel its dull ache whenever he twitched a muscle. Not a good sign.

His greyish surroundings were not exactly interesting to look at, but the medical facility was certainly a comforting place to be. Around him were people in much worse conditions. The karate elites from First Blood were all resting in their beds, still drained from their physical engagement. Out of the five fighters, Ryota was the only one sitting up. The only thing the afro guy was looking at was the thick plaster around his foot. He muttered a few curse words to himself, knowing it would take weeks before his injury healed.

Keitaro turned around slightly and noticed Harima sitting on a stool, never taking his eyes away from the sleeping form of Mikoto. She appeared to be in reasonable health, given the beating she took, but it would still take a while before she could completely recover.

Diamonji was not to be seen, so Keitaro assumed he made a full recovery. As of where he is now, nobody knows. Keitaro gathered he must had left the festival, for if he was caught making trouble again, chances are Masayoshi's guards would overwhelm and throw him out for good… that is… if Kentaro wasn't around to enforce his law.

A wry smile crept upon his face. _"So Kentaro, what do you think of me now…?"_

The staff, as expected, performed an exceptional job nursing Keitaro. Some nurses who shot a glance at his bare torso had blushed, concealing their faces when they did so. It was a rare sight to see someone so… geeky have such finely toned abs.

"Will I still be able to fight, sensei?" Keitaro asked the crucial question.

The female doctor, a tall, slender middle-aged brunette, took a three second pause before answering. "Well, even if I say 'take it easy for a few weeks', you would probably ignore the advice since you have an upcoming match."

Keitaro nodded like a guilty child. She was right, there was no way he would give up now. He would feel ashamed having disappointed so many people.

"However, it is highly recommended you return once the tournament ends." The doctor continued. "What's more, if you feel even a slight pressure against your spine, forfeit the match and return here immediately."

"Got it." Keitaro replied.

Sliding his t-shirt back on, Keitaro was about to exit the facility when he noticed two familiar faces a small distance away. Sleeping snugly on a bed was the lavender haired girl Ako, and sitting next to her on a chair was a slightly depressed Yuna. He approached the two girls and greeted Yuna nervously, also wondering what was wrong with the sleeping beauty.

"What happened?" Keitaro asked.

Yuna explained about Ako's phobia of blood, which would cause her to become dizzy, or in more serious cases such as this one, collapse in an instant. "It's something she had to live with from birth." Yuna said.

"Wow… must be tough…"

"Yeah…"

Keitaro reached out and stroked Ako's face, running his index finger around her right ear. He could feel her warm, delicate breath against the palm of his hand.

"You know, Makie-chan, Haitani and Shirai are all rooting for you." Yuna broke off the silence.

"Heh, I wondered if they would show up." Keitaro replied. _"…and I heard Yue-chan is around the special guest area… …it's a shame Hasegawa-san isn't around, but then again I don't think she is into these kind of things…"_

Keitaro sighed and stretched his arms a little. "Well, I better get ready for the quarter finals. Wish me luck, and I hope Ako-chan makes a full recovery!"

"Do your best Keitaro-kun!" Yuna grinned.

The sound of the double doors closing was proof Keitaro had left the vicinity. Without anyone to speak to, Yuna sagged her shoulders and sighed. This bout of depression however was instantly cut short. When she looked at her friend, she noticed her eyelids… fluttering…

…

…

…

"Kei… Keitaro-san…?"

**-0-0-**

The second quarter final was well on the way, but unfortunately for Hanai, he hadn't fared as well as he hoped. Kenichi was all over him, unleashing a flurry of blows that were impossible to block, let alone evade. Three body blows followed by a sledgehammer roundhouse caused Hanai to skid into a sideways heap.

"_Damn it! I still haven't fully recovered from my fight with Harima… … and this guy is good…"_

As he readied himself up, Hanai looked wearingly at his opponent. Maybe this was how Mikoto felt when she faced such a high levelled opponent. Only adrenaline was pumping through his veins. Like his childhood friend, Hanai would never give up. As far as he was concerned, Kenichi would have to walk over his dead body before admitting defeat.

Readying himself, Hanai ran with an outstretched right arm, which glowed with the familiar orange shine that consisted of his signature move. This time however, the glow didn't look half as powerful as it did before, proof that Harima really did a number of him during the previous match.

From underneath, Kenichi grabbed his right arm and swiftly pulled it downwards, not only stopping the attack, but completely incapacitating his opponent. A strong fist to the forehead was executed long before Hanai had a chance to counter attack. The force pushed him back several metres, but Hanai showed some residence by remaining on his feet. By this time the fight was one sided, and it was only a matter of seconds before Kenichi would get the better of him.

Hanai cursed his clumsy sight. He only closed his eyes briefly, and Kenichi appeared to have vanished! Hanai then felt his heart stiffen when Kenichi reappeared behind him, and his arms and hands had quickly latched around Hanai's waist. Without a moment to spare, Kenichi adjusted his body and threw the shocked fighter backwards, releasing the hold when he did so. Veterans of wrestling would have remembered the move as a 'release German suplex'.

Hanai grunted as he felt the sudden pressure from his spine and skull. However, even as he was laying down, Hanai found himself being dragged by his ankles. Before he could draw breath, Kenichi swung Hanai around in continuous circles, perfectly mimicking one of Ukita's deadly throws. After ten seconds of spinning in the centre, Kenichi released the hold, hurling Hanai with such force he was thrown clean out of the arena, landing with a sickening crunch.

"**With a tremendous throw, Hanai has been eliminated from the arena! The winner of this match is the unstoppable Kenichi Shirahama!"**

Only through Chiu's voice, Hanai realised just how far he flew. Even though he lost, Hanai summoned every ounce of strength to pull himself upright. Though disappointed he couldn't avenge Mikoto's defeat, Hanai swallowed his pride and boldly walked up to his opponent, offering his hand. Kenichi showed his respect by shaking his hand firmly.

Despite his loss, Tenma cheered for Hanai frantically, showing incredible support as always. Oji and Yakumo smiled happily, clapping along with everyone else.

As the two left the arena, Hanai realised how ruthless the competition was, but this competition only served him as a reminder to train harder than ever before. All that was left for him now was to check up on his childhood friend.

**-0-0-**

Still outside, Keitaro was about to enter his room when he heard the pattering of small footsteps run to greet him. He looked sideways and laid eyes on the familiar short girl with the Sailor Moon styled cosplay outfit.

"Ah… Narusegawa-san…" Keitaro said, not sure whether his voice was intended for greeting or question. _"What's she doing here…?"_

With both arms outstretched, Mei offered a curious Keitaro a small but weighty white paper bag. A red ribbon was tied at the top, securing whatever there was inside. "Um… I wanted to offer you these as a token of apology, you know… what with my friend giving you a hard time…"

Keitaro carefully pulled the ribbon. Mei certainly appeared to be friendly, though Keitaro wondered if her personality might be hiding something. After all, she was friends with Miss Goodman. The evil blonde could be plotting revenge against him, using Mei as her go between so to speak. The bag might contain poisonous spiders for instance, or something equally as evil. When he looked inside however, Keitaro was pleasantly surprised.

"Cookies?"

"Mm!" Mei nodded. "I bought a few bags before the tournament."

"Um… thanks!" Keitaro said, still surprised from her kind-heartedness. "That's really nice of you!"

Mei tilted her head and gave him a cheery eye smile. Then her eyes widened, as Mei realised she had a quarter final to participate in. "Oops! I just remembered, I'm up next! Hope to see you in the semis!"

"Yeah, good luck!" Keitaro replied, watching Mei jogging her way to the arena. _"Wow, what a sweetheart. How on earth did she become friends with Takane-san?"_

Carrying the bag of goodies, Keitaro pushed his door open and walked into his room. When the door closed, every bone in his body turned to jelly as he unceremoniously collapsed on the sofa. The art of relaxation, it would seem, was not a complicated one.

With the television switched on, Keitaro smiled with glee as he chomped into the first chocolate chip cookie he grabbed. It didn't take long before it was reduced to mere crumbs. Keitaro reached in for another cookie. This one was sprinkled with pieces of raspberry and raisin. He was about to bite into the second treat when he heard a very faint humming sound. He narrowed his eyes but shrugged it off as no big deal. He took a slow bite. He heard… singing?

"Taishi? Are you in the shower?" Keitaro called out, slightly annoyed from the lack of privacy.

"AH HA! MY COMRADE HAS ARRIVED!"

With bounding leaps, Taishi hurled himself in many directions before landing in a 'Y' shape, inches away from Keitaro's face. Keitaro was forced to shield his eyes.

"Taishi… please put on some clothes." He said, groaning. "Or at least a towel."

"HAHA! Are you ashamed of seeing me in my purest form? You are the legendary pervert are you not?"

"That doesn't mean I'm gay… HEY! I'm not perverted either! That's just something _you _made up!"

Taishi suddenly stopped speaking. He eyed Keitaro's bag suspiciously. "What… are those?"

"They're cookies." Keitaro replied, midway through munching one of them.

Taishi's eyes lit up. No… correction, they looked _possessed_.

Still completely naked, Taishi swan dived into the couch.

"TAISHI! LET GO!"

"C'MON COMRADE! JUST ONE!"

"NO!"

**-0-0-**

The guard had a towering appearance, six foot five to be exact. He had broad shoulders and his muscular body was proof he spent most of his life strenuously exercising. He was clean shaven and had not a single strand of hair on his head. Like all of Masayoshi's guards, he wore a black suit, polished shoes, white shirt and black tie. On his head were a pair of dark sunglasses, completely concealing his eyes. This guard had the thankless task of patrol, making sure none of the participants had broken out into a fight before their official match.

He whistled a simple song as his legs walked through the field, passing through the buildings one by one. Most of the buildings inside were silent, but he tapped on the doors just to double check everything was okay. Besides, many participants had either left or are still being treated to in the medical facility.

"Just one to go." He sighed, regarding his extremely dull-end job.

As the guard touched the handle he heard the sounds of squabbling men. Curious, he pressed one ear against the door.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU WEIRDO?!"

"AWW COME ON COMRADE! LET ME TASTE YOUR SICKLY SWEET ESSENCE!"

The door pushed open. 'Shocked silence' were perhaps the two suitable words to describe the scene. The guard had never seen two guys so tangled up as they were. The fact that one of them was butt naked didn't help the situation either. Keitaro and Taishi looked at the guard with a nervous smile. Pieces of biscuit were scattered around the room.

"As you were." The guard said, immediately closing the door behind him.

**-0-0-**

"_Damn it!" _Chiu whispered. _"I hate it when Taishi disappears like that!"_

The quarter final between Takeda and Mei had already began… and much to everyone's surprise, Takeda was struggling. There was no doubt Takeda was an experienced and exceptional fist fighter, but compared to Mei, his punches were next to nothing. Mei wasn't fast with her blows, but every time she struck the air, the wind around her formed into a rigorous gale. For a boxer, it was possibly the worst match up Takeda had to contend with.

Mei used the circle to her advantage. She remained in the centre and tried to force her opponent away if he tried to get too close. This was a good strategy for her, since she used little leg strength to turn, and her machine like arms never grew tired.

Takeda's stamina was slowly draining away. No matter how many times he danced around, Mei's strategy remained effective.

Hayato admired the way Takeda had stayed calm, but as his eyes focused closer he could see what the boxer was really up to. Whilst dodging the blows, Takeda's ki appeared to be evaporating… but in all actuality, his entire ki travelled into a certain part of his body… namely his left arm. First Hayato, then everyone watched as his left arm was surrounded with a brilliant white.

"_**ULTIMATE LEFT!" **_Takeda roared out, lunging with a full scale attack.

Mei gasped from his sudden aggressiveness, but still retaliated with her fist.

The impact was like two giants struggling for domination. Mei couldn't believe it. Takeda had not only matched her strength, but appeared to be surpassing it! His own fist was steadily driving towards her, and the girl begun to sweat, realising her strength was the only key to victory.

Hayato observed the boxer's full power. _"Only warriors with great experience can transfer their ki into a single part of the body. Powered legs can greatly enhance speed. A stronger torso would be able to withstand devastating attacks… … or in this case, a left arm, giving one the ability to smash down walls, if desired…"_

Mei's eyes widened, as if something in her mind struck her with an idea.

"…_however, concentrating on a single area leaves the rest of the body exposed, therefore, vulnerable."_

Mei ducked to avoid the full strike from her adversary. She then followed this with a quick, full circle leg sweep, completely catching Takeda off guard. With nothing to protect him, Takeda's legs easily gave way and he plummeted on the back of his head. Relieved her counter attack was successful, Mei had just enough strength to punch Takeda straight into his gut, the impact causing blood to escape from his mouth.

Mei's face was a deep shade of pink. It was her most exhausting struggle yet, but after three minutes she had won and was declared the winner by the joyous internet idol. She then looked at Takeda, feeling guilty he had to be escorted with a stretcher. Her guilt, however, was nothing compared to the despair of many Takeda fan girls. Their tears were enough to flood all of Japan.

Amongst the audience Shirai rose from his seat and cheered.

"YEAH! TAKE THAT YOU BLUE HAIRED BASTARD!"

As he punched the sky, Shirai paused like a statue. He then turned his head around to see his friend and Makie look at him with a dumbfounded expression. Then Makie and Haitani looked at each other, and a tiny light bulb went 'ping' above their heads.

"Aha! So Shirai finally opens his heart, and to a school girl no less!" Haitani said with pride.

"Shirai-senpai has a girlfriend! Shirai-senpai has a girlfriend!" Makie sung, bobbing her head.

"Woah! Guys it's not like that!" Shirai protested. _"Besides I thought Makie-chan would be sad seeing that boxer get beaten…"_

Chiu was the magnet of attention once again as she spoke through her umpteenth announcement.

"**As we watch Mei Narusegawa leave the arena, we prepare for the fourth quarter final, the match I think everyone has all been waiting for… Mana Tatsumiya versus Catherine Jordan! Both of these warriors have proved impressive in the battle royal and their first one on one match, but how will they fair against each other…?"**

**-0-0-**

As they finished watching Mei's victory, Taishi sprung out of the sofa and leapt into action. "Ha ha! Now this is a match I would like to see up, close and personal!"

Keitaro sighed as he cupped his cheek with one hand. "Was there really any point of you showing up this time?"

"Is my company alone not good enough for you?" Taishi replied.

Keitaro gave him a stare that, if translated in words, would say something along the lines of 'if you don't stop bugging me, I'm going to throttle every inch of your life'.

"Hmm… well I suppose I can offer you a small piece of advice." Taishi added. "Up until now you have acquired the luxury of time. After that however, such a luxury will not be permitted…"

Keitaro raised an eyebrow. He could not tell whether Taishi was being serious or not. "Luxury of time?" He repeated.

"Well I must be off! Until we meet again, comrade!" Taishi said. With a swift salute, he danced through the door and life again was returned to normal.

Thinking about Taishi's riddle, Keitaro watched and waited for the next match.

The door opened again.

"Damn it! Forgot my clothes! Forgot my clothes!" Taishi stammered, grabbing his clothes before Keitaro had a chance to react.

Keitaro waited for a few minutes, silently praying Taishi would never show up for a while at least. It was amazing how quiet a room could be without the moss haired psycho prancing around like a mad clown. He relaxed a little, perhaps even feeling quite excited for the match to come.

**-0-0-**

Intimidation was a word unknown to Mana Tatsumiya. She walked without fear to the arena, appearing unconscious to the sights and sounds surrounding her. When she reached the north most point of the circle, she stopped and faced forward, waiting for her opponent's arrival.

A short while later, Catherine Jordan walked to the arena, receiving the same standing ovation as her opponent. She walked to the opposite end of the circle. When she did, Catherine turned slightly and their eyes had engaged in a war of fire. Mana, with a grand flourish, removed her jacket and threw it swiftly to one side, safely away from the circle.

Both of them stood tall, their shoulders broad and upright, their legs slightly wide apart. Mana was the first to show some movement. Her chest heaved upwards as she took a long, deep breath. Mana lowered her knees and slowly pushed her right hand forward, whilst the other hand moved slightly closer to her chest.

Mana studied her opponent carefully. _"Peculiar… I can feel no good or hatred emitting out of her. It's almost as if she is emotionless… empty…"_

Catherine copied her rival's stance, as if Catherine herself was a delayed reflection. Mana frowned at this. Was she taunting her? Was she trying to psyche her out before the fight? Mana inwardly shook her head. No… she concluded that, judging from her posture, Catherine has been fighting with this style for a very long time.

No words were exchanged between them. Words… were useless.

The suspense collapsed when Chiu announced the start of the match.

Both raced towards each other, both with the intention of maximum punishment. Mana watched Catherine charge at her with an outstretched palm. Likewise, Catherine watched Mana run towards her, with the same attack in mind. The clash was frightening. No sooner had their hands met, arms were blurring in an alien sequence. It was amazing how they remained calm, since their arms and hands were war machines, wanting to blast the enemy into oblivion.

Even though she was far away from harm, Chiu felt the need to take a step back. If the audience could feel this ruthless, chilling atmosphere, imagine how _she _felt. Taishi, without facing her, placed a hand on Chiu's shoulder. The two announcers watched on.

For a minute, neither of them made any advancement… that is until Catherine hesitated for a split second. That hesitation gave Mana the upper hand, for she had managed to strike the side of Catherine's stomach. It wasn't her strongest attack, but it certainly sufficed, and everyone now understood that Catherine wasn't invincible. Catherine skidded a few metres away from the impact, but she simply acknowledged the pain with a nod before lunging towards Mana for a second time.

The titanic clash continued for another minute or so. Mana thought she had analysed Catherine's attack style fluently, but made an error with a mistimed attack. Catherine seized the opportunity and managed to strike Mana's right shoulder with a palm of her own. Mana retreated with a backwards leap. She felt cowardly for doing this, but she needed to bide her time. If Mana rushed in without thinking, she may well make another mistake, one that might cost her the match.

Both of them stared at each other, showing what could be described as mutual respect.

The wind in the evening was cold and strong, and the various ambience from the crowd was undeniably spectacular. Even watching the match was an experience in itself.

Once again, they raced towards each other.

Catherine attacked first, but Mana parried her strike with a left hand. Catherine attacked again, this time using her other arm. Naturally, Mana proceeded to block with her right.

…

The attack caught her straight to the face. Mana collapsed into the ground.

…

…

…

The audience counted to four.

…

…

The sight was a dull grey. It was only then she realised she was staring at the gravel. She managed to stand up, but the attack she suffered caused her to feel dizzy. Her eyes then widened a little as she tried to accept this discovered injury. Mana was so focused during the match that she completely neglected the serious throbbing pain. Her right shoulder, to her elbow and to her fingertips… all of these connections were trembling, as if the bones were still vibrating.

She closed one eye and gritted her teeth. _"Uuugh… I knew she struck my shoulder, but to cause this much damage? She seems to know exactly where to hurt and disable me."_

There was no way a knockdown assault was going to force Mana to submit defeat. Though she was a warrior of finesse and grace, just like every other fighter, losing was not an option.

Catherine lowered her stance, but to everyone's surprise, leapt vertically into the sky, much like Keitaro had done earlier. However, there was no spirit living inside this girl. Catherine's legs were nothing but solid strength. Whilst airborne, Catherine cross blocked her face and crouched, turning herself into a solid wall. Mana's instincts told her to take a small jump back. Catherine landed exactly where she leapt… making a thunderous impact when she did so. Her feet crushed the ground, shaking the whole circle to the core. The ground cracked in many jagged directions. Mana had to shield herself from the debris flying towards her. They were like small bullets ricocheting off parts of her body. Some of the sharper stones tore through her vest and skin, creating lots of small but painful red cuts.

As expected, Catherine took advantage of Mana's defensive state, and attacked her with everything she had. Mana would normally have no trouble blocking such strikes, but with only one able arm, that feat proved to be more than difficult. Mana fought incredibly well despite the handicap, but unfortunately even with her skill, Catherine overwhelmed her with sheer ruthlessness. In a swift motion, Catherine grabbed both of Mana's biceps and squeezed them tightly. It was a vicious move, for Mana could not escape, and with her arms now occupied, she was rendered defenceless as well. She struggled in vain. Catherine's grip was locked in like a vice. Wasting no more time, Catherine rapidly head-butted her a dozen times, each strike smashing her squarely in the face. When she let go, Mana's limp body fell to the ground again.

Each breath was a gasp of life. Mana admitted she underestimated Catherine's abilities. However, Mana was far from finished. As a matter of fact, she was smiling, perhaps even grinning. _"At last, I am faced with a real challenge. Perhaps taking part in this little tournament wasn't such a bad idea after all." _

**-0-0-**

Keitaro was worried. He didn't like watching his resident and friend being treated like this. He thought Mana would dominate the competition, but right now it was Catherine standing as the victor, for the time being at least.

"_Come on Tatsumiya-san! I know you can beat her! If someone like me can advance to the semis, then there's no doubt you can as well!"_

**-0-0-**

Shirai looked at his watch. He had set it to 'stopwatch' and so far it read just over five minutes… the duration of the match thus far. Haitani and Makie looked on, silently praying their friend (or, in Haitani's case, lust interest) will pull through.

Mana finally pulled herself to her feet. Catherine noticed her fortitude and raised an eyebrow when she was ready to fight once again. Mana was filled with passion, the absolute desire to win. She closed her eyes and whispered something very quietly.

"Spirit within… lend me your guidance…"

…

…

…

"_Of course I will, Mana-chan…"_

…

…

Like a western showdown, Mana and Catherine turned opposite directions and walked ten paces. Then they turned around. Like the beginning, Mana relaxed and lowered herself into her fighting position. Unknown to all but herself, Mana could feel the pain steadily healing in her right arm. It was a long way before complete restoration, but for now it sufficed well enough to fight.

They raced towards each other and clashed with cutting hands, displaying an incredible show for all the spectators. Both of them showed great bravery, knowing full well that one miscalculation would abruptly end everything.

Mana paused for breath at the wrong time whilst Catherine was still pursuing her with arm thrusts. Mana caught an attack to her ribcage, but luckily was only a glancing blow. Out of nowhere Catherine unleashed a perfect roundhouse kick. Mana ducked in the nick of time. As she felt the leg soar above her head, Mana rose to the occasion. Catherine's roundhouse left her exposed for a few seconds, and Mana instantly took advantage.

Her hands glowed with a faint whiteness. With each hand, Mana grabbed hold of Catherine's ankles, her grip locked in tight. Catherine, whose foot was still airborne, winced from the sudden squeeze. Mana suddenly released the hold and charged at her with a shoulder tackle, the intention of knocking her backwards with full force. To everyone's shock, Catherine recovered instantly and retaliated with a heavy arm thrust.

Mana took the attack full on to the stomach. Before she understood the situation, she was hurled to the furthest north point of the circle. She collapsed face down and started to breath deeply.

Catherine stood proudly. She looked at the sky and breathed in the sweet essence of victory. "You underestimated me… that is what cost you the match." She said quietly.

Chiu and Taishi remained standing in disbelief. They knew Catherine was a skilled fighter, but to defeat Mana still brought shock to their system.

"_Impossible!" _Chiu thought, hesitating to speak through the microphone. The audience counted 'five' and Mana was still unmoving. _"There's no way Mana could lose like that!"_

Taishi remained silent. He was partly nervous, and partly confused.

Masayoshi turned to face Yue, noting her slightly downcast expression. He then checked to see Hayato, expecting him to look deep and solemn, like always. To the principal's surprise, Hayato's body rumbled as he let out a low booming chuckle. Either the blonde giant was smoking something peculiar… or he knew something everyone else did not.

The audience counted eight…

Mana grinned as she wearily rose to her feet, her body still swaying from the impact. "Heh… on the contrary… it is _you _who underestimated _me_."

Catherine tightened her lips as she pressed forward. The moment a foot landed on the ground was the moment her legs gave away, causing her to fall like a lamb struggling with its first steps. Catherine tried to maintain an upright position, but found it impossible to move. She wobbled for a few seconds and plummeted on her rear end hard. The white haired warrior instinctively checked her ankles. She could clearly see two scorching hand prints just above her feet. The pain was excruciating, and was still increasing each time she drew breath. Right now, blacking out would be a sweet mercy.

Mana calmly closed her eyes. Seconds later they opened again, revealing a sight Keitaro was all too familiar with. Glowing white orbs replaced her pupils. This change, combined with the darkening sky made for a spectacular yet slightly disturbing scene. In the night, Mana's eyes looked like miniature lanterns, illuminating a wide radius of her vision. Truly fascinating to behold.

Mana smiled darkly as she spoke. "Consider yourself honoured, for I do not use such techniques against ordinary adversaries…"

Summoning every ounce of strength, Mana raised both arms high in the air… before slamming them into the ground. Her whole body glowed white as she executed Catherine's song of doom. Her voice was tainted with a ghostly edge.

"_**OMWEERU EJJUBA EKINAZI!"**_

…

…

…

The entire arena emitted a vicious low rumbling sound. The ground had started to shake violently. Then… silence.

Some spectators narrowed their eyes, curious as they wondered what was going on. Others looked at the person next to them, trying to find an answer to this awkward situation.

…

…

A fantastic explosion blasted from the underground, showering a cascade of rocks and stones, and forming a crater in the dead centre of the arena circle. Unsurprisingly, there were sounds of immediate gasps of shock. Teenage girls were latching onto their boyfriend's arms for support.

A giant, ethereal white dove rose from the crater, flying magnificently into the night. Without a whisper, this majestic winged creature flapped its broad wings, leaving a trail of glittery white stars in its wake. Everybody looked up at the sky, and gazed at its beauty… until the dove slowly faded from sight. An eternal memory for anyone having bared witness to it.

Nobody paid any attention to Catherine until this spectacle had finished. From the impact, Catherine was thrown many feet into the air, before crashing down to earth with a crumpled thud. Catherine was a broken doll, utterly defeated and surprised beyond belief.

"_Woah…" _Chiu wondered. She briefly glanced at Taishi and he had a bewildered expression as well. _"…we've lived together for half a year, and all this time Mana had this sort of strength."_

Chiu smiled as though thinking of a secret joke. Keitaro, Mana, Mei and Kenichi all advanced to the semi finals… meaning there was the possibility of Keitaro and Mana… facing one another.

"…_if that were to happen, Mana would be sure to win, but it would still be pretty cool to watch."_

An index finger tapped on Chiu's shoulder three times, a finger that belonged to Taishi Kuhonbutsu.

"Ahem?" Taishi said, clearing his throat.

"Huh? Oh yeah!" Chiu suddenly realised, reaching for her microphone. **"Wow! I've never seen anything like that in my life! Mana Tatsumiya advances to the semi finals, and after that fantastic performance, she has to be the firm favourite to win this tournament!"**

Still kneeling down, Mana breathed heavy breaths of much needed air, but tasted the satisfaction of defeating a battle hardened opponent. Finding the strength, Mana walked through the circle to retrieve her jacket, all the while watching Catherine being escorted by the medical team and stretcher.

Mana was about the leave the arena when a few words from Taishi caused her to stop and turn around. Taishi approached and congratulated the winner, but also told her to walk and wait by the special guests section. Mana slightly narrowed her eyes, but nonetheless complied. Since she partook in the last quarter final, Mana concluded they were going to waste no time introducing the semis.

"_This leaves me little time to recuperate." _She thought to herself, followed with a small smile. _"No matter… I have been placed in worse situations before."_

Taishi guided her to the desired location, where Mana met the unlikely trio of Yue, Masayoshi and Hayato. Yue greeted the amazon with a tiny grin and a victory sign, to which Mana simply nodded back. The two girls were not very good with words, but their expressions were enough to suggest they were pleased to see each other. Masayoshi offered his outstretched hand, to which Mana accepted almost immediately. The principal gathered she was a kind, if sometimes scary woman at heart, but winced when their hands let go. Her grip almost squeezed the life out of him!

After the principals greeting, Mana looked up to see Hayato. Mana had only stole brief glances at him during her matches, but staring at the man face to face almost spooked her. The man looked as though he was carved and chiselled from a boulder. Even the thick clumps of straw resembling his long hair was intimidating enough… and his eyes… they were like two circular voids.

"A pleasure to meet you madam." Hayato greeted, offering his hand.

Mana opened her mouth slightly as she gazed into his palm, fingers that could easily encircle someone's head.

"The… pleasure is all mine." Mana said at last. When she offered her hand, Hayato lowered to one knee and delicately kissed it. Mana does not normally take kindly to strangers who act in such a way. On the other hand, she wasn't going to take offence to some mysterious chaos like giant.

**-0-0-**

Keitaro was overjoyed and fascinated at the same time, overjoyed for seeing Mana win the match, and fascinated for having laid eyes on a truly spectacular finishing move. All those times Keitaro and Mana had sparred together, and not once had Keitaro seen her unleash such raw power. It has been over half a year since they met, but Keitaro was still scratching her surface so to speak.

His wonders turned into an abrupt shock when he heard someone fiercely knocking on his door. Not wanting to upset the stranger, Keitaro lunged forward and opened it. The guard stood like a pillar, his vision of course masked with dark sunglasses. It was the same bald headed man that had the misfortune of seeing Keitaro and Taishi in that unruly sexual encounter. The man tried to bludgeon that memory out of his skull.

"Entry 113, you are instructed to enter the arena at once." The guard demanded.

His heart began to beat faster as a result of wondering what on earth was going on. He didn't even know who he was up against in the semis. Keitaro opened his mouth for querying, but somehow got the impression the guard wasn't going to play twenty questions. After quickly preparing his martial arts outfit, Keitaro followed the guard to the cold outside. He looked at the surroundings and the sky. The sky was close to pitch black. There were a few clouds, but they were camouflaged with the night. It felt surreal that he was once fighting with clear blue surroundings, and was still amazed he managed to get this far. A rookie, with little experience of the fighting world, had defeated two ruthless opponents. Now all attention was towards him. Him, and three other competitors.

Before he could delve deeper into this thoughts, Keitaro made his way to the arena once more, taking note of the familiar ambience when he arrived. For most of his life he had been a nobody, a person no one would even give the time of day. Now, at this moment, he heard his name, over and over. He thought people would have got sick of chanting his name, but they seemed to enjoy shouting it out. Not even in his dreams had he received so much praise.

He swallowed a small lump in his throat, noticing a slight change to what he was used to. Near the centre of the circle stood five people, each with a completely different persona from the next. Taishi was present, standing tall and proud like always. There was a twinkle in his teeth as the melodramatic one held out his familiar bucket. Chiu stood close by, shifting her lips to a smile when she looked at Keitaro. In front of the hosts stood Kenichi, Mei and Mana, all wearing their usual tournament attires. The three turned around and greeted Keitaro without words; Mana with a broad smile, Mei with a timid nod and Kenichi with a neutral expression. There was a space between Kenichi and Mei, big enough for an extra person to squeeze into. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the space was reserved for.

With a deep breath, Keitaro completed the group of semi finalists. The accumulated fighting aura was enough to reduce an ordinary man to his knees. Keitaro's hands had not stopped shaking, a natural feeling for any newbie participant.

From the audience, Makie, Haitani and Shirai had never looked more serious. All three of them were deeply excited, and the bags of popcorn remained uneaten.

"**Okay everyone! It is the moment you've all been waiting for… the Ultimate Tuftee Grand Finale!" **Chiu spoke, excitedly raising one hand in the air. **"Starting from one hundred and twenty… we are now… just down to four. Three matches will determine who will be crowned king or queen! Will it be Kenichi Shirahama… Keitaro Urashima… Mei Narusegawa… or Mana Tatsumiya…?"**

Chiu checked her surroundings, hearing the reactions of the audience. To her surprise there didn't seem to be a favourite… rather they were _all _favourites. It was just like dividing a cake into four quarters. Each finalist had their own group of loyal supporters.

"_Woah…" _Was the only thought coming out of Keitaro's mind. He had heard the audience many times, but never in such volume.

Chiu proceeded to speak through the microphone. **"Wow… that's quite a reaction! Now, normally I pick out two random balls to determine who will be fighting who, but since we are near the end, we've decided to change the rules a tad! There are four golden balls inside Taishi-kun's bucket, and each of the four finalists will take it in turns to grab one. Inside the ball is a sheet of paper with either a number one or two printed on them. Therefore, the two participants with a matching pair will be fighting each other in the semi finals!"**

"…_and I'm guessing whoever draws a one goes first, and whoever draws a two goes second." _Thought Keitaro, trying to keep one step ahead of the game. _"Drawing a two may bind me some extra time to recover… if I'm lucky enough…"_

From left to right stood Kenichi, Keitaro, Mei and Mana… and it all began when the leftmost person walked slowly towards Taishi. Confidently, Kenichi reached down and grabbed a ball from the bucket. He opened the ball in two and retrieved the sheet of paper, unfolding it when he did so.

"Number one." He called out.

"**Kenichi Shirahama is number one!" **Chiu repeated, making sure the audience were aware of what's going on.

Keitaro wiped away some sweat from his forehead. The fighting hadn't even begun and already the pressure was getting to him. Stealing his nerves, Keitaro approached Taishi and grabbed a ball, opening its contents in a similar fashion.

"_If I get a one, I'll be facing Shirahama-san straight away!"_

He closed his eyes as he unfolded the paper. Chiu gave him a sympathetic look, wondering how well Keitaro will perform against such high level competitors. Keitaro mentally counted from three downwards. One eye sprung open.

"It's… two!" Keitaro said, feeling extremely relieved.

Kenichi's mouth had unusually lowered itself to what looked like fear. _"Oh no! I'll be facing a girl… then again I was destined to face a girl in the finals anyway! How can I get through this?!"_

"_Why is this Kenichi guy suddenly acting so strange?" _Thought Chiu, before speaking to the audience. **"Okay so Kenichi-kun draws a one and Keitaro-kun draws a two! Next up is Mei Narusegawa, and her draw determines the guy she will face!"**

Despite her size, Mei showed little fear as she plucked out the third ball. "Number one!" She read out.

…

For a moment, Keitaro remained frozen to the spot. Just for the sake of completion, Mana walked boldly and picked the last remaining ball.

"Two." She said confidently.

"**So Mei Narusegawa draws a one, and Mana Tatsumiya draws a two! Now because Kenichi-kun and Mei-chan draw one, they must fight first whilst Keitaro-kun and Mana… san fight second!"**

Taishi smiled. "Comrade, Amazon, follow me." He said quietly.

Taishi led Keitaro and Mana to the guest section where they stood from either side of the giant Hayato. Hayato grunted approvingly as they approached him. Masayoshi smiled nervously at Keitaro, unsure whether to label him as a hero or, from what Yue had said earlier, a pimp working in a secret alleyway. Keitaro walked closer to Yue and ruffled her hair as a sort of greeting.

"Hey Yue-chan, long time no see." Keitaro grinned. "Surprised I made it this far?"

Yue was somehow caught off guard with her manager's sudden bout of friendliness. "Well… uh… kind of."

"To be honest, I'm more surprised than you." Keitaro continued, trying to make small talk with the blunette.

"Hmm." Said Yue.

Keitaro scratched his head. With every sentence he said, he found it more complicated to speak with her.

"Oh by the way, that incident with… that woman last match…"

"You mean Takane?"

"Yeah, that was totally an accident I swear!"

"Heh, she deserved it."

Keitaro narrowed his eyes and shot a glance in Yue's direction.

"What is it?" Yue asked.

"Nothing!" Keitaro replied quickly. _"I swear Yue-chan was smiling… must have been my imagination…"_

The special guests watched on when Mei and Kenichi took their positions. Keitaro felt the chilling air creep inside him when he began to watch the fight. Soon, he was going to face the woman who has helped him train for the best part of four months. Just thinking about the match reopened wounds both mental and physical. On the other hand, Mana stood by, unmoved and without worry. With crossed arms, Mana patiently waited for her long due match with the manager.

The wind brushed through Mei's hair and skirt as the small girl took an offensive stance. Kenichi however was still shivering… and it wasn't just from the cold.

"Why a girl… why?!" He whimpered to himself.

Chiu raised the microphone to her mouth and declared the start of the match.

The audience kicked into overdrive. At once Mei used the wind as a weapon, pushing the air forwards with her deadly fists. This time however, Mei wasn't in the dead centre of the arena, because that was already occupied with the large hole Mana created previously. Kenichi's rate of evasion was impressive, bounding and turning in mid flight, doing anything he can to avoid an early defeat. As he dodged the attacks, Kenichi tried to formulise a strategy.

"_Damn it! All my friends know about my weakness for hitting girls! Hang on… …maybe there's a way to attack without making any physical contact…"_

At once, Kenichi boldly ran towards Mei just as she was preparing her strike. Instead of dodging to one side, Kenichi leapt over the girl and curled into a ball, combining into a forward somersault. Upon landing, Kenichi turned half circle and skidded into another stance. Smoke escaped from his feet as they slid onto the ground. As he performed this amazing feat, Mei scarcely had enough time to turn around. When she did, Kenichi was ready for her.

Kenichi thrust his arm forward in a perfect horizontal line. With a roar he unleashed a devastating ki attack from the palm of his hand. The motion looked similar to Ku Fei's attack, but instead, the 'beam' was replaced with a whirling mass of greyish energy, resembling a cylindrical cyclone. With unmatched speed, the cyclone tore through Mei's top and the poor girl was sent flying. She landed with a deadly impact.

Mei's eyes were glazed over as she lied in a near motionless state. She was overcome with shock, as was most of the audience. The match lasted little over twenty seconds.

A dull, echoing thud was heard when Chiu released her grasp from the microphone. The net idol didn't hesitate for a second. Running into the circle, Chiu knelt down and carried the small girl, supporting her by the legs and upper body.

After successfully lifting the girl, Chiu glared angrily at the man responsible. "You bastard, what were you thinking!?" She shouted. "You could have got her killed."

Kenichi at once bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry." Was all he could say.

Chiu tightened her lips but tried not to lose control. "We need a medical team, pronto!" She called out.

Upon her demand, a team of four rushed into the scene, two with a stretcher, the other two running to aid Mei. The quickened pace of footsteps were the only sounds heard throughout the arena.

Chiu jogged along with the team and the girl, leaving the vicinity altogether. "Taishi you take over! I'll be back in a sec." She ordered Taishi before leaving.

Acquiring his microphone, Taishi walked into the circle and placed a reassuring hand on Kenichi's shoulder, knowing full well he meant no ill will. The green haired man then beckoned him to walk over to where the guests and Hayato stood. Master and student exchanged nods as the two were reunited.

"**Now, as most of you may know, this next match determines who will face Kenichi Shirahama in the finals." **Taishi announced. **"Keitaro Urashima and Mana Tatsumiya, take your positions please."**

**-0-0-**

Makie watched with anticipation. For most of the time the pink haired girl remained on her feet, her hands shaking and clasped together. Even though she enjoyed Mana's and Keitaro's company, a tiny part of her wanted Senpai to win. Her imagination took flight. What if Senpai won the tournament? Would he become famous? What would it be like dating a celebrity?

"Hey Makie-chan." Haitani said, causing Makie to shift back into reality. "I know that Mana's been training with Keitaro for some time now… think he will stand a chance?"

Makie placed a finger on her lips. Her eyes looked upwards. "Well I've lost count the number of times they have sparred. I think it's around twenty eight… no… more… around thirty five I think."

"And how many times has Keitaro beaten her?" Haitani asked.

"Ummm…" Makie began to say, but trailed off.

Haitani shrugged. "Oh well, he's had a good run."

"HAITANI! You can't just say stuff like that!" Makie said, a little fire in her belly. "You never know! Senpai could pull something off!"

"Yeah, hopefully her vest!" Grinned Haitani.

Makie's hair drooped down as she stared at him. "That's… just lame."

Shirai adjusted his glasses as he took part in the Keitaro/Mana debate. "I admit Keitaro has been really impressive, heck he's done stuff I thought he could never do… but Mana… she's like a demon. I mean she must have been training for years, and let's not rule out the fact that she can summon that big…. white birdy thing. One attack like that and Keitaro would be wiped out."

Makie crossed her arms and poked her tongue out. "Hmph! Well I don't care! I'm still rooting for Senpai so nyah!"

Haitani and Shirai sighed as they watched the two warriors take their positions.

**-0-0-**

Keitaro felt like hyperventilating. He silently prayed for the fear to disappear, but thinking about it only made things worse. He could feel Mana's aura surrounding her body. That aura alone was enough to force Keitaro into submission. True, Keitaro had faced ruthless opponents, but Mana was far more dangerous than Diamonji and Takane put together… and even that analogy would be regarded as an insult to her.

Mana grinned as she lowered herself into an offensive stance. Her personality was fuelled with darkness. The ferociousness in her eyes suggested she would rather die than admit defeat.

"Nervous, Urashima-san?" Mana said calmly.

"Yeah, you could say that." Replied Keitaro.

Mana breathed a silent air before continuing. "Even though we are friends, keep in mind I intend to go all out. I would wish you to do the same or else… I would never forgive you."

Keitaro lowered his face, allowing his hair to overshadow his eyes. As he looked up, his glasses were glowing white with the moonlight. The look of sheer determination was alien for Keitaro, but that was exactly how he behaved.

"Tatsumiya-san… thanks to you and Sayo-san, I am able to see my life in a new light… and trust me, if I held back… I would never forgive myself either."

"Heh…" Mana grinned. "…I'm flattered, but now is not the time to exchange words…"

She removed her jacket and flew it in Taishi's direction. Taishi ducked just in time. This match was far more important than Mana's perfumery scent.

"…Urashima-san… … _**let's dance.**_"

Taishi raised one hand high in the air, whilst the other hand held the microphone against his mouth. **"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! MAY THE SECOND SEMI-FINAL… … BEGIN!"**

Mana and Keitaro bowed to each other. Soon afterwards, they leapt over the crater and clashed their right hands together in mid-flight…

_To be continued…_

…

…

_Author: At long last, the tournament arc will draw to a close. I say at long last because I've done a lot of research with this (read mangas, checked fighting styles, etc) as well as writing a lot of drafts of how each fight will turn out. The friend vs. friend may seem a bit cliché, but wait and see the ideas I have prepared for Mana and Keitaro, not to mention the final match with Kenichi. Hopefully it would be well worth the wait._

_OMWEERU EJJUBA EKINAZI is roughly translated to 'white dove palm', and like Keitaro's move, it is not a Japanese translation._

_See you in the next chapter!_


	27. Guide me, my Childhood Friend

**Chapter Twenty Seven - Guide me, my Childhood Friend**

…

Chiu tried to keep her speed up as she ran alongside the medical team. Running wasn't really her talent, and she cursed herself for not getting enough leg exercise. In no time at all, they had all reached the facility, but Chiu was promptly denied access.

"We'll take it from here ma'am." One of the staff said.

Chiu began to protest. "But… wait."

"You do your job and we'll do ours, now step aside."

Chiu sighed and did as she was ordered. They were of course right, she had no right to interfere, especially in her state, and it would only cause more of a commotion for the staff and patients.

"_I guess it was wrong of me to behave in such a way." _Chiu thought. _"Plus it's not like Mei showed any mercy to her opponents. Guess my emotions just got the better of me."_

With a tired gaze Chiu stared into the sky, her imagination drifting elsewhere. It didn't seem so long ago when she was sitting at her convention. She still deemed it unreal to have so many fans. It was an exhilarating experience having all those different people wanting to meet her. It truly made her privileged to be alive… and just when she thought it was all over, Keitaro, of all people, decided to show up.

Still she could not believe Keitaro's courage. She would have understood if he fell in love with the internet idol, but he didn't. He fell in love with the girl who was grumpy most of the time. He fell in love with the girl that despised anyone opening her door without knocking first. He fell in love with Chisame, not Chiu.

She slumped on a lonesome tree. Her legs started to ache and she could feel the breeze penetrating her clothes. It was unusual how she felt the cold air all of a sudden. Maybe Chiu was moving around so much, she seemed to completely forget about the weather. She breathed into her hands and rubbed them together. Keitaro. She could hear the distant sounds from the crowd, meaning his match had already begun. He was certainly brave to face off against Mana. Then again, Keitaro showed much bravery, especially when he stood up against Diamonji. The match was sure to be spectacular, but Chiu was too preoccupied with her own thoughts.

"_Why me?" _She wondered. _"It's not like we ever get on together. Matter of speaking, the only time we did get on was when… when I was Chiu."_

She sighed. Love sure was a confusing word, but the girl was more confused with herself more than anything. Maintaining two personas was certainly a challenge, but was it a rewarding one?

**-0-0-**

After their bounding leaps of faith, Mana and Keitaro now found themselves on reversed sides. Keitaro's right hand stung from the impact, and briefly wondered if Mana suffered the same injury. If she did, then Mana masked her expressions extremely well.

The large hole Mana created certainly proved to be quite an obstacle. If they wanted to engage in hand to hand combat, they would have to do so in the outer layer.

Both of them stared at each other, trying to read each other's mind. Just from her posture, one could tell Mana had a few tricks up her sleeve. Mana lowered herself to one knee and gently touched the ground with her right hand. The audience regarded this as nothing but Keitaro narrowed his eyes, wondering what she was doing. Mana rose back to her feet, causing Keitaro a little more confusion. Maybe that was just Mana's way of thinking things through. Perhaps Keitaro was being too cautious.

**-0-0-**

"Woah, sweet opening!" Haitani shouted excitedly. "Like something you see in the movies!"

Makie watched the match with silent anticipation, clearly amazed how Keitaro managed to survive the first attack and still remain standing. With one finger Shirai pushed his round glasses to the bridge of his nose. Shirai appeared to be slightly fascinated how the arena, thanks to Mana, was now a different playing field altogether.

"You know, it's kind of interesting when you think about it." Shirai said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Asked Makie, turning her face as she spoke.

"Well, it's just that the arena… sorta looks like a doughnut…"

Haitani joined in the conversation, though his eyes never left the match. "Oh come on! We're watching the fight of the century here and all you can think about is stuffing your face with cake?!"

"That's not what I meant!" Shirai loudly argued. "Ahem, no what I meant was since there's a big hole in the middle, it's sure to change the way things are played out."

Haitani raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"It's true! I mean without the hole, they probably would have just charged at each other, but with this obstacle they seem to planning some kind of strategy. _Well Mana-san has probably planned something at least… Keitaro… I don't know. He just looks kinda nervous._"

"Yeah you're right!" Makie nodded in agreement. "That's pretty insightful Shirai-Senpai."

Shirai looked away for a moment and laughed nervously. "Ha ha, well you know… I, uh, yeah I guess it is kinda… insightful, yeah!" Then he secretly clenched a victorious fist. _"Yes! Makie-chan thinks I'm smart! Score one for the knight in Shirai armour!"_

As he watched the match, Shirai's stomach started to growl.

"Um, I'm just gonna buy some doughnuts, be right back!" He said as he ran off to find the man selling such desserts.

"Told you he always thinks about food." Haitani said to Makie.

Makie crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Well at least he doesn't always talk about boobies." She countered.

Haitani stroked his chin whilst nodding. "Hmm… touché."

…

…

With her tongue twisting and turning every angle, Haruna frantically scribbled from pencil to pad. For the last ten or so minutes, Haruna had not said a word, something which was regarded as a small miracle. The picture was only half finished, but still looked pretty amazing. It resembled a dove that was flying straight into the sky, the background consisted of a few dotted stars with the moon placed in the right hand corner. Haruna also drew a couple of finely detailed feathers, looking as though they escaped from the dove's freedom.

Whilst Konoka was focused on the match, Nodoka's only visible eye glanced over Haruna's shoulder, looking at her creation becoming more and more complete. Nodoka smiled. She favoured this side of Haruna, rather than her usual, crazy talkative side.

…

…

"Yo."

Tenma gasped. She recognised that voice anywhere, the voice which belonged to the person known as Harima Kenji. Leaving Hanai and Mikoto alone in the medical centre, Harima decided to join up with the rest of the audience, preferring to watch the final matches from the great outside. It took him a while to find Tenma and the gang, but it was those two mini piglet tails that gave away Tenma's position. Harima had a hard time weaving through the crowds, being as populated as they were. Also a few of the audience had almost recognised Harima's appearance, so most of the time Harima had to look at the ground whilst walking, just to avoid visual contact.

Tenma turned around at once, seeing the ex-delinquent clearly as day. A giant open smile was plastered over her face. Harima tried to remain cool as he made his non-motioned wave, but with Tenma around, being cool was the equivalent of having his entire body made with jelly.

"Harima-kuuuun!" Tenma called out, obviously overjoyed. Weightlessly, she hopped off the seat and leapt into Harima's arms.

"It's. GOOD. To. SEE. You. TOO. Tenma. CHAN!" He said, awkward beyond belief, tears streaming from his sunglasses. "Um, hello little sister-san." He added to Yakumo.

"Hello Harima-san." Yakumo said in her usual whispered voice.

Tenma's expression softened, as did the hold around his waist. "How's Hanai-kun and Mikoto-chan?"

"Ah, they're doing good." Harima replied. "Mikoto is awake… and, uh I figured I leave her and Glasses by themselves. Y'know, company and stuff. _Harima you did it! You managed to say a full sentence in front of Tenma-chan!"_

"Yay! Everyone is okay! I was so worried about you guys!" Tenma said with relief. "Now we can watch the match as four! C'mon Harima-kun! Don't be shy! There's an empty space next to Karasuma-kun!"

"Uh, right." Harima said, feeling the familiar softness of Tenma again. "I can see the seat, you don't have to carry my hand. _Who am I kidding?! I'm loving every second of this! I could just die!"_

As he was promptly guided to the seat, Harima realised something.

"_Wait a minute… Karasuma?!" _He thought, his expression changing from overjoyed to 'meh?'. _"I thought he was never going to show up!"_

When Harima sat down, he didn't properly focus on the match in front of him, rather it was his mind that was focused on a certain someone. Oji Karasuma watched the match with unwavering eyes. In fact, everything about him was unwavering. The guy was a block of ice.

"Hello Harima." He said, leaving the greeting as that.

"Hey, Oji." Harima replied, again, leaving the greeting as that.

Though invisible through his glasses, Harima's eyes slowly shifted right.

"_Why the hell is he wearing his school uniform?"_

**-0-0-**

With their eyes fixated on each other, Keitaro and Mana walked from opposite ends until they were near the east-point of the arena. Mana's hands began to glow with a familiar whiteness, as did Keitaro's. Their leg patterns turned into sprinting, and finally, they clashed for a second time.

Only hands were exchanged during the battle, but even with hands alone, the battle was incredible to witness. Sparks of white energy was shown every time their palms struck. Their level of impact was swift and strong.

Keitaro knew that defence or avoidance would only prove futile at this point. If he started to defend now, Mana would just repeatedly attack until she broke through the protection. If Keitaro tried to avoid her arms, it would unhinge his fighting pattern, thus leaving him exposed long enough for Mana to capitalise. All Keitaro could do was try to keep up with Mana's dangerous fighting style. It was his way of showing respect. It was his way of proving to Mana, and to everyone, that he wasn't afraid anymore.

A giant clash of hands forced both of them to shift a few metres backwards. Keitaro watched his own hands, smouldering from their first real assault. He then winced as he realised the pain igniting from his back. It was as if Takane Goodman was still haunting him. He remembered the doctor's advice; if he felt anything in the spinal area, no matter how slight, he was to forfeit immediately. Keitaro, however, weakly shook his head. How the hell could he forfeit the match? He couldn't. It was out of the question.

He felt a small warmth from where the old injury was. He could sense Sayo was trying her best to heal this pain for him. Though the process was slow, Keitaro was nonetheless extremely grateful. He realised Sayo wasn't just his childhood friend. Sayo was devoted to him.

"_Well he's certainly learned the basics." _Thought Mana as she smiled. _"Let's take this up a notch."_

Mana charged into the fray, leaving Keitaro barely enough time to retaliate. Now Mana's attacks were more faster and ruthless than before. Keitaro braced himself in case a hand found a mark directly into his face. If that were to happen, then no matter how 'immortal' one guy is, he would be knocked out in a flash.

Keitaro could feel his muscles beginning to strain. He exerted much energy just to keep up with her. If he was exhausted now, what chance would he have of defeating Mana altogether? Why was he even _thinking _about defeating such an opponent? He knew, in reality, he had no chance of winning, so why was he still fighting? Mentally, physically, Keitaro was already drained, whilst Mana was becoming stronger by the second.

Suddenly, their arms managed to lock in tightly together. Their faces were a mere inch apart. Keitaro appeared completely flustered, his cheeks a deep shade of red. Keitaro's heart began to pound rapidly. Her bright blue eyes were staring wickedly at his. He then looked at her moist, beige lips, wondering how it would feel if he pressed them together with his own.

Mana grinned. She was so focused in the fight. She didn't have time for silly things such as emotions. Adjusting her body, Mana performed a full circle leg sweep, sending Keitaro straight to the ground. Keitaro didn't know what hit him. All of those newfound thoughts were accumulating into his mind, only to be sent crashing back to reality again, courtesy of his opponent.

Keitaro sat up and rubbed the back of his head, checking for any kind of bruises he might had sustained. His ears were ringing. He knew this because he could not detect the usual ambience he was used to hearing.

"_Uuugh… she completely caught me off guard that time…" _Keitaro thought.

As he readied himself, Mana stood by waiting for him. She made a gesture with her outstretched hand, taunting him into rushing recklessly towards her. Keitaro did not comply. Rather surprisingly, it was Keitaro who copied Mana's gesture.

"_As you wish, Urashima-san." _Mana thought. _"Though… not just yet…"_

Keitaro's mind felt heavy, his sixth sense telling him something was not right. He seemed to had heard some sort of… disturbance beneath him. Suddenly and spectacularly, miniature white doves burst from the underground, creating holes that were the size of a small coin! Not only had their brightness forced Keitaro to shield his vision, but some were flying straight towards him, making tiny explosions upon impact. Each impact was like being stung by an angry bee. Keitaro was completely distracted.

"_When did Tatsumiya-san do this?" _Keitaro panicked as he fought the swarm.

He then remembered what happened at the beginning of the match. _"Wait a sec… I remember Tatsumiya-san crouching at one point. She was touching the ground for some reason. I knew I felt something wrong then and I was right! Those doves… Tatsumiya-san created those from the beginning… and only triggered her attack just now… like some kind of delayed spell?!"_

He took several quick steps back, frantically swaying his arms so he could be rid of this winged pests. Fortunately ten seconds was the duration of this attack, in which afterwards the doves quickly faded and disappeared from sight. However, by this time, Keitaro was completely unprepared… and Mana was more than ready.

Much to Keitaro's amazement, Mana grasped his shoulders and used the full strength of her legs to lift herself vertically, a manoeuvre one would expect to see from a trapeze artist. As a result, her whole body was airborne, with the only exception being her hands, which were supported from Keitaro's shoulders. When her feet vertically touched the sky, Mana reversed the motion, but instead of her feet landing on the ground, she combined the reversal into a phenomenal double flying kick.

Keitaro shouted in agony as he felt the strike against his ribs, wondering if Mana was wearing titanium soles. He quickly clenched his stomach the moment he was knocked down. He then felt the old wound reigniting from his back.

Keitaro was still awake but his body ached all over, some parts even feeling numb. He steadied himself as the audience counted six.

He charged into Mana without mercy. Recklessness kicked in.

Keitaro fought valiantly but could feel the hourglass slowly running out of sand. It was the bitter truth he was forced to accept. Mana excelled in every way Keitaro did not.

A palm thrust to the chest forced Keitaro some distance backwards. Keitaro somehow remained standing, though his head was bowed lowly, as if he was in shame.

"_I can't win…" _He thought. _"I… just can't win…"_

Even as he felt hopeless, Keitaro still ran towards her with aching limbs and other countless injures. He was attacking with everything he had left. Something didn't feel right with him. His desire took over his sense of reasoning. He felt like giving up a long time ago, so why was he still fighting?

Countless times he charged into Mana. Countless times had Keitaro been forced back to the ground with rigorous force. He felt even worse than before, if that were possible. It was a close call this time. Keitaro wearily stood up as the audience made a count for eight. There were some surprised murmurs when Keitaro shook off all his pain, still wanting to fight on. Anyone who still thought 'The Legendary Pervert' was just a gimmick for light relief now had a completely new perspective for the guy.

With tired eyes, Keitaro paused and wondered what was happening to him. He felt warmth… warmth despite the chilling air that would cut into anyone under-clothed. Instinctively, Keitaro looked at both of his hands. They were glowing with a familiar faint whiteness. He then slowly looked down at his body with amazement. He was surrounded with a sensation he couldn't properly describe. It was like a ghostly white fire, moving violently, yet maintaining Keitaro's bodily shape.

Mana smiled, knowing exactly what was going on.

"_Urashima-san… perhaps you have given up the fight… but __she__ hasn't. That is the true power of the Shining White Dove."_

Keitaro's right hand began to tremble, almost as if there was a earthquake living inside. He could see the ki of a white star slowly emerging… and slowly expanding. His mouth remained open as the star was growing still. His head turned to face Mana. He was experiencing a mixture of confusion, anger and, perhaps more noticeably, desire.

Mana's expression was as cold as night. In retaliation, her own body was consumed with similar flames, and her eyes turned into white orbs. A star shaped ki had already taken its form.

Keitaro's eyes widened.

"_Tatsumiya-san has the same ability as me? Does that mean…?"_

Both of them, with an outstretched hand, charged into each other with a bellowing battle cry…

…

"_**O K U Z U U K A K A W A O M U Z I M U !"**_

…

…their hands struck… or rather, it was their ki that made contact. Two stars merged into one giant ball of light. Their hands were slowly moving closer into the sphere, both of them showing amazing courage as they did so. Closer they moved, even as white sparks flew out in random directions. Sweat was dripping off from Keitaro's face. Sweat was dripping off from Mana's face. Their visible, clenched teeth was proof that both of them had undergone an incredible strain.

"_Astonishing!" _Mana reasoned with herself, even in such a predicament such as this one. _"Sayo-san… even though she has inhabited his body in such a short period of time… to wield… this much power…!"_

"_I think I understand now." _Keitaro thought. _"These acts of bravery were not mine, but from my childhood friend. Sayo-san still believes in me… so now I have to believe in her…"_

Still their hands pushed slowly forwards, despite the strain and the pressure…

…still they pushed… until the moment the tips of their fingers touched.

A colossus explosion of light nearly filled the entire arena circle, sending a fierce shockwave between the two competitors. Both of them flew backwards, their bodies skidding along the ground the moment they made impact. Both of them blacked out.

After being startled from the dazzling display, the audience did not know how to react. Some on them were about to start the traditional ten count, but stopped, wondering what would happen if they _did _count to ten. Masayoshi frowned deeply as he considered the situation, and was also amazed such a situation occurred. Currently he was speaking to Hayato, asking for a warrior's advice so to speak.

Taishi gripped his microphone tightly, feeling the endurance both of them had gone through since the start of the tournament. If something as rare as this did occur, then the sensible agreement would be to declare that both competitors lose, making Kenichi the overall champion. He would hate to end the tournament so abruptly, especially since the tournament from the start had been a rollercoaster ride of insanity.

When Taishi opened his mouth through the microphone, his voice took over his common sense.

"**Ladies and gentlemen, I have come to an agreement… the match will continue when both competitors regain consciousness!"**

Masayoshi clenched his hands, his teeth and anything else that needed clenching. "Nggh! How can you come to an agreement by yourself?!" He nearly shouted.

Hayato simply chuckled at Taishi's announcement. "Oh ho ho! I think Taishi-kun is just saying what we were all thinking, right Ken-chan?"

"Yeah." Kenichi said with a nod. His eyes watched on with sheer determination. Never once had he seen two competitors so unique in style, and him thinking that is a compliment, considering his own unusual methods of fighting.

"_Mana-san is an awesome fighter." _Kenichi admitted. _"I don't even know if my girlfriend could beat someone like her… but… that Keitaro guy… he should have lost in first round with Diamonji… but no matter how many times he got shoved down… he just got right back up again. Heh… he kind of reminds me of someone…"_

He smiled, thinking about a few rogue memories that just happened to jump into his head.

"…_heh… yeah… he reminds me of…"_

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

…

She groaned wearily the moment she woke up. The sky was a greyish black and not a star was in sight. Her surroundings were sort of… hazy… as if nothing had properly come into focus yet. She gently placed a hand over her head. Her hand was freezing cold and her head, still spinning, was flustered and hot. Her eyes widened as she thought upon a realisation. She could feel herself. She could feel the elements brushing through her white robe, her bare feet touching the ground. She felt alive.

"What's going on?" Sayo asked herself, a breath of cold air visible from her mouth. "What's happening to me?"

Sayo knelt down and noticed the ground beneath her. Soft, grey sand stretched as far as the eye could see. Sayo scooped up some of this sand and when she did, she tilted her hand slightly, allowing the grey texture to escape carefully from her palm. Just touching the sand appeared to have brought back a thought or two, but they were not memories from here.

Sayo remembered running on sand, the sand being a bright, golden orange colour. She remembered running without a care in the world, laughing loudly, chasing… someone. Was it a holiday, perhaps? She also remembered building a sandcastle with a young boy, though this was from another location altogether. She smiled. Of course. She was with Keitaro Urashima that day, a boy with many hopes and dreams.

Sand, it would seem, had a great role in Sayo's life, but this sand she was walking in did not look in the least way memorable.

"Where… where am I?"

Sayo stood up and focused on her surroundings. Amongst the sand were rubble; bricks, rock and stone all crumbled down to form piles large and small. Many huts were strewn about the place; weathered, circular buildings created from the most primitive of materials, mostly rock and clay. These huts barely provided shelter, let alone comfort. They looked only big enough to fit three people, four at a squeeze.

From behind one of the huts, a person emerged, causing the girl to gasp in shock. This figure stood slightly taller than Sayo, but it was the appearance that startled her. The person wore a thick purple robe; the sleeves long enough to droop over its hands, the clothing even covering its feet. Its 'head', back and front, was completely obscured with a silver mask, leaving three small identical holes, big enough just so it could see and breathe. It breathed slowly and slightly.

Sayo and this mystery stood ten metres apart. The wind stood still, it always had done the moment Sayo set foot upon this unusual world.

When it spoke, its voice was a metallic whisper, as if speaking through from the mask itself. It was hard to determine whether it belonged to a man or a woman, or perhaps it was from neither gender?

"Salutations… …you must be the inhabitant… of the male vessel."

When it stood silent, Sayo realised it was her time to reply. Undoubtedly, Sayo was very nervous.

"Y-you mean Kei…Keitaro-kun? Y-yes… yes I am."

The figure nodded, as if to acknowledge her answer. "And I am the one that inhabits Mana Tatsumiya. You and I, it would seem, were destined to meet one another…"

"We… were?"

"Since our vessels live together, then it is only natural, and inevitable, that we must acknowledge each other's presence as well."

"But… I still don't understand…" Sayo asked worryingly. "…why are we… here? What is this place?"

Upon answering, the figure remained motionless and emotionless. "For the first question… I am equally surprised as you are. For the other question… this… is a place of memories… my memories… _her _memories…"

Sayo's robe did not protect her against the cold wind. She huddled herself as best as she could, but her arms were starting to tremble.

"…this is her birthplace…" The figure continued speaking. "…this… used to be a beautiful village… … until _they _arrived… …now look at it… …demolished… …desecrated… …destroyed… … …alas, that was all in the past… …now… time has moved on…"

Sayo choose her next words very carefully, not wanting to offend the figure. "Who… who are you?"

"Hmm… who am I?" It replied, thinking of an answer. "Nobody has requested my name for a long while… hmm… for now… you many address me as 'Light'."

After finishing its answer, the one known as Light bowed lowly… before taking a stance familiar to a certain female warrior.

"Now… forgive me, inhabitant. Our vessels are engaging in battle… thus… so must we…"

Sayo gasped. _"We… must fight…? Why? Is there no other way around this?"_

As its eyes still focused on Sayo, Light raised a hand high above the air. Its hand slowly began to take form of a sphere engulfed in sunlight. Sayo felt fear, her face filled with beads of descending sweat. She found herself looking straight into the sky. To her fascination, and horror, a small hole emerged from the heavens, and was beginning to increase rapidly in size. Light brought its hand down, chopping the air as it did so.

Sayo felt a tightening grip over her heart. An invisible presence was crushing her from the inside.

She blocked her arms into a cross and leapt backwards, just as a monstrous pillar of light descended into the ground. Though barely avoiding the blast, its impact however, sent shockwaves so vast, that Sayo flew back further than she had anticipated. With force, Sayo was thrown into one of the rickety huts, the small building smashing to pieces when she made impact with it.

It had been a while since she suffered physical pain. This shock to the system caused her to question her own existence. It was similar to the afterlife, heaven, where she could feel everything just like every other being who lived there… but Sayo inwardly shook her head. How could she even form a comparison between heaven and a place so… dark and eerie.

Sayo quickly scrambled to her feet, well aware her adversary was far from toying around.

Light slowly walked over to Sayo, both of its hands radiating with sunlight. The figure pushed its arms forwards. From its hands unleashed two devastating beams of bright energy…

…Sayo sprinted as far as the strength in her legs could hold. Even at her fastest speed, the beams of light were mere inches away, melting and cutting rubble, destroying walls and anything else Sayo ran past. Breaking more sweat, Sayo accelerated her speed despite the aches and pains. She leapt gracefully over another hut and forced her back against its wall.

Sayo breathed loudly and deeply.

"_So… this is… the spirit inside Mana-san…?"_

By instinct, she gasped. Her eyes widened.

She ducked just in time, as a beam of light bored a huge hole into the building. She jumped out of the way and watched, as the hut, within seconds, crumbled to a state where the rubble stood no taller than her. Behind the rubble stood Light, poised and willing to strike again.

Sayo, still terrified, watched Light and wondered what its next move will be. At last, Sayo could see something of Light that resembled human… its hands. Light's hands were now visible to the naked eye. They were pale, almost white, and smoke was escaping from its palms.

Sayo swallowed a lump in her throat, trying her best to hide her fear. Memories of her. Memories of Keitaro. These memories began to quench that fear and convert it into something wonderful. She found herself relaxing, even as she stood by looking at the person known as Light.

With an outstretched palm, Sayo ran with the wind. Her palm reached out and aimed for its body, but suddenly she felt her hand being… reflected. As she found herself being bounded backwards to the ground, Sayo realised a spherical, transparent shield had completely circulated around Light's body. The shield looked like glass, glass which proved unbreakable.

With a wave of one hand, Light dispelled the shield, causing it to fade swiftly from sight. Light then slowly walked over to Sayo's laid out body and carefully raised a right hand steadily upwards. To her terror, Sayo was now levitated metres from the ground, and was rising higher still! Light changed its hand gesture so it looked like it was tossing an invisible rock. With abruption, Sayo was hurled sideways and landed skull first into the leftovers of a solid wall. Light was not done. Again the figure lifted its hand and flung its arm into a rainbow. Sayo was launched high into the sky, her body mimicking Light's action, before falling like stone back to surface.

Sayo, despite her psychical trauma, managed to stand up. She bravely charged into Light, but Light simply activated its shield again, causing Sayo to meet with a similar fate. Again she stood up, but Light blasted her with a powerful beam, knocking her down once more.

She instinctively felt the side of her face. It was tainted with a greyish bruise, and throbbing as those her head felt aflame. As she stood up, Sayo thought she saw multiple images of her adversary. Light, however, remained perfectly still, so Sayo must have felt delusional or some other kind of mental setback.

"Please… do not think of me as an enemy." Light said, its metal voice still unwavering. "I am only doing this to protect her."

Both hands were raised to the sky, hands which now glowed with the familiar brightness.

"Forgive me… Sayo-san. This battle is over."

Light brought her arms midway to her waist, and two beams of absolute brightness travelled ferociously towards the fragile ghost. Upon contact emitted a massive explosion, engulfing Sayo in its wake. Most of the sand threw itself into the air, grey particles scattering anywhere and everywhere.

…

The sound and sight of magic eventually faded away.

Light faced the ground. It didn't appear happy, nor even satisfied. It had no reason to feel victorious. Light only felt relieved having protected its vessel with all the power in its spiritual body.

Light looked up.

…

Beneath the mask were two eyes filled with great amazement.

Keitaro, or rather, a visage of the man… was right behind Sayo. He was wrapped around her, circling his arms around her slender body. Sayo closed her eyes and smiled. No harm had come to her, and it seemed as though she had not endured any of Light's power to begin with. She delicately placed one hand over Keitaro's embrace.

"Light…" Sayo said, her words soft and calm. "I understand your devotion to Mana-san, but please understand this. I am with Keitaro Urashima because I love him dearly. When I was very young I fell in love the day I laid my eyes on him. Even in death my heart did not waver. This is the bond that keeps us together."

After speaking, Sayo, along with Keitaro, both ran towards the purple figure. Their outstretched hands were joined by the tips of their thumbs. Light raised its shield but the speed and strength of the two had shattered the sphere immediately upon contact. With the palm of their hands, Sayo and Keitaro carried forward their attack, striking directly into the mask of Light.

Light stumbled for a few seconds before falling on its knees. Light had never experienced a power so devastatingly strong.

The visage of Keitaro had vanished from sight, but Sayo remained in the sand. She looked at Light with a hint of sympathy. Light appeared to be… lost.

No words were spoken, and Sayo was never one to gloat on such a victory… if it was even regarded as one.

Slowly, Sayo reached down to Light's height. She noticed the metallic mask which showed a small but noticeable crack, slightly below the left eye. A second crack appeared, followed swiftly by another. Bursts of light escaped underneath the mask… which suddenly shattered tremendously. Whiteness surrounded the sky, surrounded the land, surrounded everything…

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

The ambience was the cold knife driven into his stomach. The return of his blood, his sweat and his energy were all quickly acknowledgeable… but one certainty that baffled him was the strength that maintained his legs. How was he able to stand, and how long had he remained standing?

Mana stood at the south-west curve of the circle. She placed a hand over her forehead, feeling a pain mysterious to her. She thought she heard footsteps, but her dulled senses failed to comprehend any real danger. Only when she properly opened her eyes did Mana realise she was in trouble…

…but she was too surprised to even move.

Before she could blink, Keitaro had charged into her with a full strength shoulder tackle, and it was, literally, at full strength. She could feel the impact and showed no residence when she was knocked down. Keitaro's strength… somehow… was more than enough to force her out of the arena circle. Only then were her senses restored, but of course, now it was far too late.

Mana rubbed her head. Still on the ground she looked up to Keitaro. His glasses were filled with moonlight and the wind took every strand of his hair, blowing it wildly in every direction.

"I lost…" Was all Mana could say, but she did not question as of how she lost, and she certainly wasn't going to make any excuses. Taishi's voice from the microphone reinforced the reality.

It felt… strange. Over the years, many people had challenged her, and they were far from ordinary people. Many were elites at their chosen profession, men and women who had trained solidly most of their lives… and she had swiftly defeated them all, without even the need to draw breath on some occasions. Catherine Jordan was one of her stronger opponents, but even after crushing her, Mana Tatsumiya still had plenty of stamina and strength to see her through to the next round. Truly, Mana is an outstanding warrior…

…and now she was finally defeated, by a man who she trained with for only a few months. Her apprentice so to speak.

Life, she decided, was not as predictable as she once thought.

Keitaro cautiously offered his right hand to her, wondering whether if it was the correct thing to do at this moment. Keitaro was so modest. He paid no attention to the audience. The combined ambience of whistles, screams and applause were fantastic noises. Keitaro drowned out those noises without a second thought. The only thought going through his head… was the well being of his friend.

Mana smiled at him. She always enjoyed looking at Keitaro. She always enjoyed trying to figure what was going through his mind.

Their hands touched, and Keitaro, with a firm grasp, pulled Mana strongly to her feet. The moon had hidden itself behind a patch of dark grey clouds. The light from his lenses faded away, allowing Mana to see into his eyes again.

Keitaro was about to open his mouth when Mana swiftly stopped him. "Heh, it appears the student has defeated the teacher."

Keitaro's eyes cast over to one side. He placed a hand over his heart and spoke softly. "I won because of Sayo-san. This is her victory, not mine."

Mana could not think of a reply to his statement. Maybe what Keitaro said was true, but there were times when Sayo needed Keitaro as well. In the end Mana did not choose to say anything. She figured it would be better this way.

"Are you alright?" Keitaro asked.

Mana nodded. "Yeah."

Taishi suddenly spoke through the microphone, completely cutting the tension between the two fighters. **"Keitaro Urashima. Congratulations on an outstanding victory… but now you must prepare yourself for the final match… for it begins… right now."**

Keitaro waited a moment for Taishi's words to properly sink in. When they did, Keitaro hung his mouth open, allowing some cold air enter his dry throat. His body ached all over and his stomach craved for anything, so long as it was edible.

"_Is this what Taishi meant by not having the luxury of time?" _Keitaro thought, his reasoning coming into play… a little too late.

Yue blinked before her eyes showed concern. "Already? Aren't we going to have a break?" She asked Masayoshi. _"Keitaro-san doesn't look too well."_

Masayoshi sighed, but those were the rules. Besides, the audience were ravenous, craving more and more action every second. "I'm sorry, but this is what me, Hayato and Taishi agreed upon beforehand. _Though I say this, I do regret seeing Keitaro in his current condition."_

After hearing what Yue regarded as a weak excuse, the blunette simply crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Well… Keitaro-san is just going to kick _his _ass as well."

The principal's expression was priceless.

…

…

If Yue managed to show a little emotion… then Makie must have been overwhelmed with such feelings.

"What?! That's so unfair!" She shouted with a tearr. "Senpai can barely stand!"

"Shit, this blows…!" Haitani added. "…damn it Keitaro should have lost on purpose…?!"

Makie turned to face Haitani, her head was like a rusty cogwheel when it did so. "Uh… wha?"

"…and you know what sucks even more? Mana's clothes still remained intact!"

It was very unusual for the pink haired girl to blow a fuse, but this just so happened to be an occasion where the fuse was lit. She grasped Haitani's neck and throttled it with all the strength she had. Well, the good news is she found someone to release her pent up anger on.

"You're the worst Haitani! Senpai's in trouble and all you can think about are Mana's breasts?!"

"Please… let… go… not… much… time… to live…" Haitani gasped.

Reluctantly, Makie let go, knowing it wasn't in her nature to use violence…

"So… I reckon Mana has to be well above the D size at least."

…then again, Haitani did prove to be the exception.

" (Ghurk) MAKIE-CHAAAN! LET GO!"

"NOT A CHANCE!"

Shirai was munching on a burger and desperately tried to ignore Makie's and Haitani's little escapade.

…

…

No words were exchanged from the library trio. Haruna had just finished her immaculate sketch work, and now her eyes were focused on this exciting, yet unlikely outcome. Her expression was one of silence, much like her two friends. There was a great suspense in air… so it came to a massive surprise when Nodoka, of all girls, shattered this suspense. With her hair still hanging over her eyes, Nodoka rose from her seat.

"DO YOUR BEST KEITARO-SAN!" She said, shouting her heart out. Her timid voice echoed throughout the sky.

From a twenty metre radius was silence. Konoka, Haruna and everyone else around them stopped and stared in her direction. Then a chorus of cheering was heard, as if Nodoka's words had driven everyone to speak aloud. Now… even more fans were calling out and chanting Keitaro's name. Realising what she had done, Nodoka flushed red and sat down on her seat hard, causing some pain in her rear end. She put both hands over her mouth.

Haruna grinned and gave Nodoka a thumbs up and a wink. "Wow! You go girl!" She said charismatically.

Konoka giggled at Nodoka's sudden change of heart. "Fufu! Nodoka-chan sure is enjoying herself isn't she?"

Nodoka still didn't understand why she burst out like that. _"What… wh-what was I thinking?!"_

…

…

"Harsh." Harima said. The man had his arms crossed and his expression was most serious. Tenma and Yakumo did not conceal their surprise when Keitaro had to face Kenichi straight after defeating Mana. Oji, of course, remained neutral.

"Perhaps." Replied Oji. "Though it is quite fascinating to see how long a human body can withstand. It is a classic test of endurance… a trial of how strong one person can remain against the world… a mission which a solider must undergo his duty without a shred of remorse."

Harima, Tenma and Yakumo looked at him, wondering what on earth he was saying. Soon afterwards, Tenma produced fire from her eyes and clenched a fist with dramatic effect.

"I totally agree with Karasuma-kun!" The small girl agreed. "This is a classic test of turbulence!"

Harima also produced fire from his eyes, and his fist was clenched in a similar fashion. "I also totally agree with Karasuma…kun! I also think this is a classic test of, ah, turbulence!"

Yakumo didn't know what to make of the situation.

…

…

During the match between Mana and Keitaro, Hayato had gently placed his large hand on top of Kenichi's shoulder. Now, once it was all over, Hayato's hand was slowly lifted away.

"Ken-chan, I can feel a lot of confidence emitting from you, but remember, too much of this confidence can make you careless, thus leading you towards defeat. I know because it has happened to you before, not once but many times."

"I understand, sensei." Kenichi said, truly meaning his spoken reply. He always held a high respect for his master, and his words of wisdom were gold dust to him.

"One other thing…" Hayato added, his voice stern.

Kenichi turned to face him.

"…enjoy your fight!"

Hayato's beaming eyesmile was infectious. Beneath that muscular exterior really did lie a heart so deep and caring.

…

They stood side by side, but were facing opposite directions; Mana east and Keitaro west.

"Well, Urashima-san…" Mana whispered. "Whether you believe it or not, you _are _through to the final match… which means there is one last thing to do, right?"

Keitaro said nothing, but listened intently.

"Defeat him. Claim this tournament."

Keitaro nodded, and Mana slowly walked away, retrieving her jacket from Taishi, and joining the group of Masayoshi, Hayato and Yue. It was a strange feeling she had. Mana lost the match, but try as she might, she just couldn't stop smiling.

"Keitaro-san has certainly improved hasn't he?" Yue asked.

Mana nodded in agreement. "Yes, greatly."

**-0-0-**

Chiu sighed, her tree becoming an ideal resting spot for most of this evening. She felt selfish for not supporting the tournament, being preoccupied with her mind instead. Only her thoughts provided her with warmth, which was just as well since her outfit provided little of that. She assumed the final was well on the way, and she had a pretty good idea who would be competing in the last match.

"Found her." Came a gruff, serious voice.

Startled, Chiu glanced up and noticed a bodyguard who had just finished speaking through his earpiece. She figured Masayoshi was worried about her prolonged disappearance, and so sent a bodyguard to search for her. Chiu looked at the guard, a large, bald headed man wearing a suit and sunglasses.

"Chiu-san…" The man began to say, but she quickly interrupted him.

"I'm coming." Chiu said softly, nearly forgetting she was supposed to be in her happy alter ego mode.

They both took their time walking, until they were only a few feet away from entering the tournament. Attempting to break the ice, Chiu decided to speak to the guy.

"Have the semis finished?" She asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Keitaro and Kenichi are in the final match." He replied.

"Yeah… uh, WHAT?!"

She stopped. Did he just say what she thought he'd say? What's more the guard said it like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Kei… Keitaro?" She said, disbelieving her own voice. "He's facing Kenichi… straight away?"

"Mm." The guard grunted. "Kinda screwed up, fighting straight after the semis I mean. Still, that's the rules I guess."

Chiu abruptly stopped the conversation and her movement. With one hand she latched onto the guard's arm and dragged him away in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Where the hell are we going?!" The guard shouted, obviously distressed.

"We're going to help." Chiu simply replied. "What's your name by the way?"

"Uh, Domiko."

"Pleased to meet you Domiko-kun!" Chiu replied, with a net idol styled eyesmile.

**-0-0-**

He thought he would conquer them all by now; the pressure, the nervousness and the fear. The moment his opponent walked into the circle, Keitaro Urashima felt all these negative emotions cycle through him.

His adversary; Kenichi Shirahama. By appearance he didn't look at all threatening. Diamonji's presence commanded fear and total respect from anyone smaller and weaker than himself. Takane, the banshee from hell could invoke terror just by _looking _at them. Mana… no words were needed to describe her. She was in a league of her own. By these standards, Kenichi was quite ordinary.

Keitaro stared into Kenichi's eyes, trying his best not to be intimidated. They were roughly the same height, perhaps Kenichi an inch or less taller. His grey martial arts outfit wasn't very attractive to look at, but Kenichi wore it with pride. Keitaro reminded himself that he was still wearing that ridiculous golden silk. He almost forgot how embarrassing it was to wear such clothing.

Keitaro was no fool, however. He knew beneath Kenichi's exterior was a strict force to be reckoned with. The speed in which he defeated Mei was proof of that. Keitaro shuddered thinking about his power. Was there any way he could last as long?

Taishi's voice filled the tournament. **"Let me remind the audience that Kenichi Shirahama has not been directly hit once in this tournament. Will Kenichi forever remain untouchable, or can Keitaro pull off an amazing upset?!"**

Keitaro sagged his shoulders. _"Gee, thanks Taishi. You saying that made me feel really confident." _He grumbled.

Keitaro prepared himself, waiting anxiously for the storm after the calm. He lowered himself with an outstretched palm to the right, and a pulled back hand to the left. He studied Kenichi carefully. One of his hands was a clenched fist, the other an open palm. It was safe to say Kenichi was truly confident with his skills.

Taishi closed his eyes. Every part, every segment, every _particle _shook with excitement. Taishi was a ticking time bomb filled with fireworks, but nonetheless he contained himself as he announced the final fight.

"**Ladies and gentlemen. We are left with two of Tuftee's finest warriors… but one and only one can be declared champion. Now… …MAY THE FINAL MATCH OF TUFTEE… BE-"**

"**Time for tea everybody!"**

Keitaro and Kenichi fell over in disbelief. Actually, everyone in the guest section did the same thing, and all of the audience were… just stunned.

With a megaphone in one hand, and pushing a tray trolley in another, Chiu entered the tournament with a squeaky wheeled flourish. Her hair was all neatly braided and she wore a skimpy black and white waitress outfit, which came complete with fishnet stockings and high heel shoes.

The audience cheered aloud, almost forgetting about the final completely. Chiu's charm already reached to a level beyond staggering. Somewhere amongst the audience, Haitani and Shirai were competing to see who could cheer the loudest… them and probably a few hundred other guys who were of the same perverse category.

"**Chiu overheard there was no pause for rest, thanks to the rules Hayato-kun and Yoshi-kun made up! Well Chiu thinks Hayato-kun and Yoshi-kun are big fat meanies! Don't you guys agree?"**

"YEAH! HAYATO-KUN AND YOSHI-KUN ARE BIG FAT MEANIES!" The audience chorused with immense volume.

"…uh, why are they meanies?" Shirai whispered to Haitani.

"Because Chiu said so." Haitani whispered back.

Hayato hung his head low and slumped to one knee. "I'm not a big fat meanie!" He sulked.

"There, there, I'm sure she doesn't mean it." Yue assured as she patted his shoulder.

Masayoshi and Mana were just completely weirded out.

"**Sooo I thought, why not give these two handsome hunks a little rest, and a little treat? Isn't that right Domino-kun?"**

Chiu looked left and right in a comical fashion.

"**Ooooh, I get it! Domino-kun is a little shy-shy! Come on Domino-kun! It's okay! Nobody will laugh!"**

There was a short wave of silence.

Suddenly, there was another sound of a squeaky wheeled tray, and this tray belonged to another figure, also wearing the same clothing as Chiu. This figure, however, was well over six foot tall and was muscular head to toe. He wasn't wearing any high heels though, since there wasn't any available in a size fourteen. The big pink bow across his bald head was simply 'adorable'.

Naturally, everyone roared with laughter. Domiko, the strong silent type, was reduced to the epitome and pinnacle of utter humiliation.

"I really hate my job." Domiko grumbled. "and why does she keep calling me 'Domino-kun'?"

"**Aw, come on guys! I told you not to laugh!" **Chiu playfully pouted. The laughing did not stop.

Though far from being a fan, Mana couldn't help but smirk. How Chiu managed to persuade a bodyguard with little emotion… to become a cross dressing waitress was an impressive, if unusual accomplishment. She crossed her arms and patiently waited for this amusing little interlude, not minding in the least when this would finish.

Chiu and Domiko pushed their way inside the circle, the same moment at which the two competitors scrambled to their feet. They stood still like fresh recruits, such is the way with most guys who stood close to the girl. With a smile, Chiu wheeled over to her manager. She presented him with an array of small plates, filled with a selections of edibles sweet and savoury.

Chiu lowered her megaphone to address the stunned Urashima. "Come on! Eat up! Don't be shy!"

Even with his attempted-to-be-gentlemanly persona, there was no way Keitaro could decline such a generous offer. He helped himself to a bowl of rice filled with gravy and pieces of chicken and pork. He ate the food quickly but sensibly, not wanting to look like a pig in front of someone so famous. To wash the contents down, Keitaro sipped on a plastic cup of steaming hot coca. Only when his stomach growled did Keitaro realise how hungry and thirsty he was. All of his fights have taken a staggering amount of energy, so this was the perfect revitalisation.

"Hey… Keitaro…"

Keitaro looked at Chiu, wondering why her tone was so soft all of a sudden. Her expression seemed so… innocent and caring.

"…good luck."

"Th-thanks." Keitaro answered.

Kenichi stared worryingly at Domiko. Domiko stared angrily at Kenichi.

"Eat something." He ordered.

With a weary hand, Kenichi reached for the closest thing he could find, which was a large oval shaped pasty. The taste would be been succulent, but Domiko's presence completely vaporised that taste.

When they finished their food and drink, Chiu apologised for the sudden interruption. Of course, the crowd didn't mind in the least. Chiu was their idol, queen and goddess after all.

"**Let's hear it for Domino-kun, who has been such a good sport!" **Chiu said with the megaphone. **"Way to go Domino-kun! Woo!"**

The crowd cheered and laughed at Domiko's expense. Domiko growled as he pushed the two trolleys away, finally disappearing from the tournament. His mates were going to have a field day.

At last the commotion died down, though the audience were still eagerly awaiting the fight. The floodlights shining onto the circle were a godsend. Without them, they would be battling it out in pure darkness. Once again, Keitaro and Kenichi prepared themselves. Keitaro still felt his injuries but Chiu's little interlude somehow filled him with renewed confidence. Chiu's words echoed into him. Mana's words echoed into him. Yue, Makie and his friends were all watching him, cheering him on. In fact, the only person who wasn't watching was…

…Keitaro shook his head. Now was not the time to think such thoughts. He had a final to win, or at least, try his best at. Each second pounded into his heart, sending ripples inside his body.

Taishi roared his charismatic voice from the microphone.

"**MAY THE FINAL MATCH… … BEGIN!"**

Kenichi weightlessly flew over the crater, and Keitaro braced himself for combat. The audience were ecstatic, on their feet and screaming every word under the moon. Kenichi was the first to strike. A mid-range swinging punch aimed for his chin, but Keitaro shielded the attack with his right arm. Keitaro frowned. Something was wrong. That was _too _easy.

The fist was a feint. Keitaro realised this a second too late. Kenichi followed through the feint with a ferocious roundhouse… and that move was definitely intentional. Somehow, Keitaro blocked the kick with his left arm, but the strong impact still knocked him back a few feet.

Keitaro shook his head, the pain still ringing inside his skull. Surprising everyone, Keitaro ran towards Kenichi and launched a long range straight fist, his arm extending to its full width. Kenichi did not skip a beat. With one hand he pulled Keitaro's attacking arm downwards, and slammed the palm of his other hand in Keitaro's face. Luckily Keitaro managed to tear away the hold before his opponent could do any serious damage to him.

As he was forced back again, Keitaro touched his upper lip. Just as he feared, both his nostrils were bleeding. The taste of his own blood was not unfamiliar, but it was a taste he could do without. He quietly cursed to himself. He felt foolish for falling into that trap, especially after seeing Hanai become the victim of the same move. Keitaro breathed deeply as he stared into the eyes of Kenichi Shirahama. When Keitaro first thought of the word 'fighting', he assumed it was just two guys slugging it out in a dark alley. Kenichi gave the fighting term an entirely different meaning. Kenichi was a genius of fighting.

Keitaro flinched with fright. Kenichi's fighting style immediately changed to an irregular one. Now, both of his fists were clenched, and were altered so they were guarding the sides of his head. His right knee was raised menacingly high.

"_Thai kick boxing." _Mana summarised from the sidelines. _"This could be dangerous."_

Kenichi lunged forward with his knee, thrusting the wind with destructive force. Keitaro wisely leapt to one side. That knee alone would have crushed his ribcage if Keitaro was not a second faster. Not wasting any time, Kenichi attacked him with a deadly combination of roundhouse kicks and elbow swipes. Keitaro ducked under a soaring elbow. Kenichi's elbows were two gigantic swords, swinging with deadly might.

Already Keitaro felt exhausted. How much time had elapsed anyway?

Keitaro blinked, and Kenichi rushed into him. Only an inch stood between them. At that moment, Kenichi transformed into another style; the Chinese bare fisted style. One hundred fists blurred into him, all in the tiny space of four seconds. Keitaro couldn't properly acknowledge the pain, let alone find a way to counter the onslaught. The pain was mortifying. Kenichi sprung his left arm back and followed the attack with a powerful punch to the face. Again, Keitaro was forced back, and could feel his brain being scrambled.

Mana's eyes opened wide. Just how many styles could this Kenichi person utilise?

Kenichi took a few steps back.

Keitaro stood utterly defenceless.

Hayato stood with crossed arms and nodded to himself. _"It's over." _He thought.

Kenichi ran with a blistering speed. His footsteps were Keitaro's hourglass.

"_**YAMATSUKI!" **_Kenichi cried out.

He swerved his two arms into irregular angles. Both fists struck his chest with incredibly fast accuracy.

"_**KAO LOI!"**_

The second attack was the one he unleashed from his first one on one match. He leapt, clutched Keitaro's ears and crushed his jaw with a right knee. Incredibly, Keitaro was still standing, but Kenichi was only halfway through his strongest combo.

"_**UGYUU HAITOU!"**_

Advancing another step, Kenichi lowered his body and charged his skull into Keitaro's torso. His head alone sucked the wind right out of his opponent.

"_**KUCHIKI DAOSHI!"**_

He grabbed Keitaro's right leg with both hands, pulling it backwards and causing Keitaro to crash backwards to the ground.

Kenichi took a swift leap backwards and waited to be declared the victor. Very few people could withstand such an assault… and even fewer would be able to fight effectively afterwards.

Four seconds later… and Keitaro had already sat up. Five seconds later… and he was back on his feet.

Kenichi was taken back by this, but still retained a confident posture. It was the pride of a warrior to never give up, but one had to back up that pride with strength and endurance. Sometimes in a match it was better to stay down, otherwise they would wind up getting even more injured than before.

Keitaro smeared a hand down his bloodied face. He looked at his hand painted red.

"_What the hell?!" _Kenichi thought, as he watched Keitaro rush towards him with amazing speed. The lens of his glasses were filled with moonlight.

However, just as Keitaro was about to strike at him with everything he had, Kenichi launched himself and unleashed the driving knee into his face. The 'Koa Loi' this time round was extremely effective, for Keitaro's momentum was stopped utterly.

Keitaro felt his entire body swagger around. Droplets of blood were scattered everywhere. He could feel himself rapidly losing consciousness. Kenichi stopped fighting. He knew Keitaro could take no more of this punishment. Taishi, microphone in hand, got ready to announce the winner. Though it was painful to admit it, Keitaro lost. He was outclassed by speed, by strength and by experience.

This was the strength of Kenichi Shirahama. For years he has trained a variety of fighting styles, and is probably the first in the world to achieve so many of them at such high levels. Kenichi Shirahama was, quite simply, one of a kind.

…

…

…

…

…

…but so was Keitaro.

…

"_**OMWEEERU EJJUBAAA EKINAAAAZIIIIII!!!"**_

…

…

The impact was monstrous. After letting his guard down, Kenichi took the attack straight to the chest, and as a result, his body flew into the ground, unearthing a path of gravel before collapsing in a crumpled heap to one side. He flew so far, Kenichi nearly found himself eliminated from the circle altogether. More importantly for Keitaro, Kenichi did not show signs of movement.

Keitaro slumped to one knee and took many deep breaths. Just when everything looked hopeless, Keitaro pulled himself back to life… with a little mental… and spiritual determination. Keitaro smiled with joy. Sayo helped him win against Mana, and now thanks to the ghost within, he may win the entire tournament.

"Sayo-san… I love you." Keitaro spoke to himself.

Everyone who knew Keitaro stood wide eyed and open mouthed. Where the guests stood, it was a scene of silence, golden silence.

"Keitaro-san… won?!" Yue said finally.

Chiu stood amazed. _"No… no way… he's… done it!"_

The pause of suspense continued, that is, until Hayato shook his head, his action commanding attention from the girls and the principal. "That was indeed a remarkable comeback… but Ken-chan has not lost just yet…"

To prove Hayato's speech was not mere wordplay, there was a groaning sound through clenched teeth as Kenichi pushed himself off the ground.

"…Ken-chan, strength and speed aside, has amazing endurance. As long as he's breathing, my student will never give up."

Then, Hayato clutched his muscular chest and roared with a gigantic belly laugh, undoubtedly shattering the suspense between the guests.

"MWHA HA HA! My my! This is certainly an entertaining encounter… the rookie Keitaro Urashima or the experienced Kenichi Shirahama? Simply outstanding!"

"_So he knows Keitaro is just a beginner…" _Mana thought as she took Hayato's words into account. _"Yes of course, Hayato-san can probably determine a fighter's experience just by looking at them… but still… having experience does not necessarily guarantee one a victory… and Keitaro is living proof of that theory…"_

Mana watched as Kenichi stood himself upright. He must have still been shaken from the attack, for his body was feeling terribly numb. Using his teeth, Kenichi bit into his right sleeve and pulled it downwards.

"…_Keitaro… you have shown everyone that Kenichi is not invincible… now put his lights out!"_

Keitaro looked into his eyes, and Kenichi looked into his. Their feelings appeared… mutual, as if both fighters were staring directly into a mirror. When he was young, Kenichi was labelled 'weak legs' by everyone at school. Kenichi feared this nickname would take him to his grave. Everyday Kenichi was teased and bullied, but he showed little resistance.

That however changed. Kenichi one day found her little sister being picked on by the same bullies that bothered him. Kenichi charged without thinking whilst his sister could only watch her brother being picked apart and thrown around. Too many times he was knocked down, but every time he fell, Kenichi rose to his feet again. Thankfully his attackers gave up and ran off, looking for something else to do.

Now, under the supervision of Hayato, Kenichi was a warrior with morale. Always he would go out of his way just to protect those that need his aid.

Words were unspoken, but the tension spoke volumes.

Kenichi made the first move, an attack that would both surprise Keitaro and everyone watching. Kenichi closed his eyes, and swayed his arms in a fluent motion. Silently he lifted his right foot, two inches above ground. Channelling a source of his ki, Kenichi brought his foot down.

At once, the ground shook viciously, almost making Keitaro feel unbalanced. To increase the mayhem, a surge of white lightning travelled in the direction of Kenichi's force… a ki that was moving through deadly speeds towards Keitaro. Keitaro nimbly dived out of harms way… only to see Kenichi _himself _charging towards him!

"_Was that lightning attack a decoy?!" _Keitaro thought.

Still surprised with Kenichi's speed, Keitaro reacted by blocking his body. Suddenly, his breathing stopped dead. Kenichi had successfully clutched his throat with one hand.

"_**NODOWA OTOSHI!" **_Kenichi shouted.

With his grip still locked in tight, Kenichi lifted his opponent in the sky and slammed him down on his back. This was a pain Keitaro did not want to feel, especially since he could still feel the burning soreness, 'kindly' given to him by Takane Goodman. Keitaro managed to tilt his head… only to see Kenichi grabbing hold of both his ankles.

He feared what was coming next. It was the same manoeuvre that defeated Hanai. Keitaro felt helpless as his world was spinning around. Once Kenichi maximised his momentum, he would let go of his hold, and Keitaro will fly out of the arena circle. The giant swing throw was a move Ukita taught him, a move that purely consisted of upper body strength.

Keitaro felt helpless as his arms swayed circles around the cold wind. He clenched his eyes tight. His will told him to never give up. He refused to give up.

Luckily, the one inside him listened intently to his will…

Kenichi, still rooted to the same spot, swung his body faster and faster…

With a mighty roar, Keitaro felt his whole body being consumed with warmth. Everyone watching Keitaro noticed his body glow fiercely with a fiery whiteness. Kenichi let out a panicked gasp, thus causing him to let go. The fire from Keitaro nearly burnt Kenichi's hands to a crisp, and if Kenichi was foolish enough to retain him longer, then his hands may well have been damaged to a greater degree.

Kenichi looked at his own palms with fear. This was a handicap he could do without. Even moving his fingers in the slightest way caused a surge of agony. Kenichi was in trouble.

At once, Keitaro flipped his whole lower body, making him stand upright in an instant. This flash and fast style surprised Kenichi… but what surprised him even more was Keitaro's flying roundhouse kick.

Kenichi could see him come at slow motion, but he could not do anything about it.

Keitaro flew with divine grace, and launched a swirling right foot against the side of Kenichi's face.

Kenichi hit the ground like a rock.

Silently thanking Sayo again, Keitaro decided to waste no more time. He followed through his attack, ran, and pounced onto him, thinking of descending a fist straight into his gut. Kenichi reacted quickly. With fast legs, he flipped Keitaro over, causing him to be thrown over to the ground.

Both people were laid out, flat on their backs.

Even at this frantic moment, the sky and stars intrigued them. They stared upwards for what seemed like ages, but in all actuality, was only a few seconds. Kenichi was tired and injured, Keitaro even more so.

Wasting no more time, the two warriors rose to their feet. They both looked at each other, noting their torsos rising and descending. Such a psychical toll they had both paid, and now, they were going to push and punish themselves even further.

Keitaro's friends watched on. None of them dared to avert their vision. Keitaro and Kenichi was their main focus. So far, ten minutes have passed by.

Kenichi was the first to attack. He decided to use his feet rather than fists. The burning pain in his hands refused to go away, but Kenichi blanked out the pain for the moment. Winning was his objective. Pain he would worry about later.

Keitaro ducked and swayed, doing anything he can to avoid numerous thrusting kicks and roundhouses. When the opportunity presented itself, Keitaro attempted a few straight hand thrusts, but out of the eight he launched, Kenichi evaded seven of them, and blocked the eighth hand with ease. Keitaro showed a little frustration. Kenichi was an impenetrable wall.

After many unsuccessful attacks, both of them distanced themselves.

The end was nigh. They could sense it.

Keitaro's hand glowed white. He was losing stamina at a rate of knots. It was a case of act now, regret later.

"_**OMWEERU EJJUBA EKINAZI!" **_He cried out, charging with the remainder of his body.

Unfortunately Kenichi was still too quick for him. In the nick of time he somersaulted straight over Keitaro's attack, covering much distance in the process. Keitaro was so caught up in the moment, he didn't notice Kenichi disappearing from sight. The whiteness faded from his hand. When Keitaro glanced behind him… it was already too late.

With an enraged scream, Kenichi thrust his hand forward and emitted the cylindrical hurricane… the same ki enhanced attack he used against Mei. Now Keitaro was the victim. Veins were appearing on Kenichi's face as he continued this attack. The cyclone was still travelling into Keitaro's body, its fierce sound of wind echoing throughout the arena.

Finally… at long last… Kenichi stopped his attack.

The audience was an accumulated sound of screams and whistles. Nobody took sides, but were overjoyed at witnessing such a spectacular match… a match which appeared to be seconds away from a conclusion. However, some of the people remained quiet. Makie placed a hand against her mouth. She looked at Keitaro. She could tell it was over. Haitani and Shirai's expressions were solemn. Secretly though they were amazed Keitaro could make it this far.

Keitaro took the attack in the chest. He was still standing, but his body fell limp, as if he were a puppet with cut strings. His chest was smouldering. Black smoke surrounded his body. Defenceless and exhausted, Keitaro did not acknowledge Kenichi's presence, even as he was closing in on him.

As he flew into Keitaro, Kenichi unleashed his strongest four strike combo for the second time.

"_**YAMATSUKI… KAO LOI… UGYUU HAITOU… KUCHIKI DAOSHI!" **_Kenichi shouted, as he performed his deadly attacks once more. The punches… the knee to the face… the head blow… finished by flipping his opponent airborne.

All the sounds and noises were dulled out of Keitaro's senses. He didn't even hear the sound of his own head crushing against the ground. His body was motionless.

Accepting defeat was difficult. At first he was pleased to make it to the first round, but as the fights progressed, so was his determination to win.

"Heh… guess I lost…" Keitaro said weakly. "…I… I lost…"

Kenichi slumped to one knee. He was so preoccupied with the match that he didn't realise the ambience surrounding him. The audience were chanting his name, but Kenichi didn't care so much about victory. He only cared about getting stronger so he could protect the innocent, his friends and family.

Kenichi wiped the sweat away from his forehead and gasped. "Phew! That was some match!"

Hayato nodded, expecting nothing less than a victory on Kenichi's behalf. "That was quite the incredible fight." He said to the others. "And… this Keitaro… is nothing short of pure brilliance."

"Mm." Mana nodded. She was proud of him, and Sayo. Keitaro's fortitude and Sayo's spiritual power made for a very effective combination.

But then… Mana's eyes widened in shock. The net idol and Yue wondered why Mana acted in this way. When they figured out the reason… their expressions had matched Mana's. Even Kenichi's master looked surprised.

Kenichi wondered why the ambience had changed so dramatically in such a short space of time… until now.

Kenichi panicked. His eyes were not deceiving him, though he secretly wished they were.

Keitaro ran towards the unprepared warrior. He ran with a powerful battle cry, ran with an outstretched hand, ran with the intention of winning. How the Gods was he able to still move?!

No whiteness was emitted from his hand, because Sayo had completely depleted her spiritual essence. Even so, Keitaro sprung his arm back and prepared to strike Kenichi with everything in his heart.

Keitaro felt dizzy. His mind was heavy. No… he had to strike him and claim the tournament, like Mana wanted him to do. He wanted to make everyone proud. He wanted to _win_! That thought was screaming in his head, over and over.

…

…

At the last second… his remainder of strength… had withered away.

With the palm of his hand, Keitaro gently touched his face. The impact surprised Kenichi… but nothing more.

Kenichi watched Keitaro collapse face first into the ground.

Keitaro was certain Taishi had said something, but right now, that didn't seem to matter.

He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to slip gracefully into unconsciousness.

…

…

_Author: The tournament has finished… at long last! Hope you enjoyed all the battles, particularly the last two in this chapter. The ghost vs. ghost idea was obtained when I read Setsuna face off against Eva in the Negima Manga. Kenichi's combo attack was also obtained from its Manga, and the 'cyclone' move was just something I threw in to give Kenichi an extra devastating attack (not that he needed it but I thought it was cool anyway)._

_I'm not exactly sure what the translations are for the words 'YAMATSUKI', 'KAO LOI', 'UGYUU HAITOU' and 'KUCHIKI DAOSHI'… but I described what he does after saying these moves, so it should be easy to indicate what he was doing. '__NODOWA OTOSHI' means 'choke slam', which basically involves grabbing the opponent by the throat, lifting him in the air and slamming him to the ground._

_Light and Domiko are original characters, as you can probably tell._

_Next chapter is on its way. I hope you look forward to reading it._


	28. Reunited

**Chapter Twenty Eight - Reunited**

…

All of the beds were empty, except for one. All of the patients in the medical facility have made a full recovery. Some parts of their body were still tender and bandaged up, but a few weeks of rest and they would be completely restored. He, however, was still sleeping, motionless, save for the rise and falling from his chest. The nurses and doctors found it astounding how Keitaro Urashima suffered no broken bones nor did he obtain any serious injuries. His body was scattered with bruises large and small, but they will disappear over a shortage of time. Right now, his fatigue was the doctor's main concern. Fortunately, her concern was finally answered.

He fluttered his eyelids before properly opening them. The lighting, the scent, the atmosphere… yes, he remembered this place before, though that time was under different circumstances. He could still feel a bell ringing inside his head, but that died down the moment his mind came into focus.

"Sensei." He said, remembering the doctor from before.

"Welcome to the land of the living." The doctor introduced, a short smirk appearing from her lips.

"How… how long have I been sleeping?" Keitaro asked.

Her eyes glanced sideways.

"One hour?"

Her eyes glanced the other way.

"Two hours?"

She knew her answer was going to shock him.

"Four hours?"

The doctor took a deep breath and took one step back.

"Thirty four hours." She answered at last.

Now Keitaro's eyes were wide like saucers.

"OVER A DAY?!" He panicked. "But… what about the others?! Are they still waiting?! No! Course they're not waiting! They're probably home by now! Waagh! I didn't mean to sleep for this long…!"

The doctor raised an eyebrow as Keitaro continued to apologise to non-existing people. _"Is this guy always prone to panic attacks?" _She thought.

**-0-0-**

Outside the facility stood a crowd of people, all dressed in a variety of smart and casual clothing. Most of them were in their teenage years but a few were in their early twenties. The sun slowly made its presence through a flurry of white clouds, but the delightful weather failed to lift their spirits. Despite this crowd of people, no sound was heard from any of them… well, perhaps with the exception of a slurped straw, tasting the bittersweet flavour of lemon and parsnip soup. The carton was interestingly titled 'Lemsnip', and it could have been mistaken for a juice that soothes throats. There was a loud suckling sound as the girl reached the bottom of her drink.

"Um, you know that sound is pretty annoying." Haruna told Yue, breaking the thick air of silence.

"Is it?" Yue asked.

"Yeah, kinda."

After hearing her words, Yue purposely made the noise even louder.

A gentle patter of footsteps alerted everyone's attention. Once the girl finished jogging, she lowered herself slightly and took deep breaths. She wore a pink dress and black leather boots, and now her cheeks were rosy due to her little workout.

"Chiu-san!" Yuna said, surprised to see someone so famous near her. "You're here to see him too?"

"Mm." Chiu nodded. "Oh call me Chiu by the way. I don't need an honorific."

"Um… Ch-Chiu… thanks for letting us all use the main campus last night." Ako softly thanked.

"No big!" Chiu replied, waving it off as no huge deal. "Better than having us all stay in a hotel right?"

"Yeah!" Makie agreed. _"Chiu sure is nice, unlike grumpy old Hasegawa."_

Chiu felt a presence, a very dark and eerie presence. Her eyes moved to the side and soon afterwards she turned to another direction. From a mere three inches away stood Haitani, and he was drooling like a hound who had swiftly caught scent of a juicy steak. Shirai also had a twisted and delighted look on his face, but nowhere near as twisted and delighted as his taller, lankier friend.

"Chiu!" Haitani blared out. "I just want to say I'm your biggest fan! AndIloveyou! AndIwanttomarryyou! AndIwanttohaveallyourbabies! AndI-"

CRUNCH.

Feeling an agony worse than death, Haitani clutched the crown jewels and fell over like a tree.

Konoka covered her mouth in surprise. "Gosh, that's some right foot."

Mana adjusted her silver sunglasses until they were slightly below the bridge of her nose. "A mercifully swift punishment if you ask me. If I would have to listen to Haitani any longer, then I would have rendered him limbless."

"Sc-scary." Nodoka whispered to herself.

Taishi remained silent, loathing these prolonged durations of suspense. His hands in his pockets were going to detonate along with the rest of him anytime soon.

The giant doors of the medical facility swung wide open. The atmosphere that was hanging above everyone changed drastically. After opening the door, the brunette haired doctor looked at everyone with a neutral expression.

"The Urashima fan club I presume?" She asked casually.

Makie had her hands in a prayer when she spoke. "Is he okay?"

Everyone looked at the doctor expectantly. Everyone had the same question on their mind. The doctor smiled broadly and stepped to one side.

"See for yourself."

…

**-0-0-**

…

Hope you get well soon Keitaro-san. - Ako

Please get better Senpai! We all really miss you! xxx - Makie

Shame I didn't see you in action! I heard you kicked so much ass! - Yuna

Get well soon - Yue

Thanks to you I'm 3000 yen richer! But seriously, get better pal, 'kay? - Haitani

Get better mate, and how the hell did you do those ghostie white moves? - Shirai

_You owe me a rematch 'Legendary Pervert', here's to a swift recovery. - Mana_

HI KEITARO! You haven't heard of us but we're friends of Yue so naturally that makes you our friend too! You seriously ruled in the tournament! Get better soon! - Haruna, Konoka and Nodoka - The library gang!

_Hi Kei-kun! Here's to a speedy recovery! xxxx - Chiu_

**KEITARO YOU CANT DIE! YOU ARE THE IMMORTAL LEGENDARY PERVERT I LOVE YOU MAN YOU KICK ASS! DON'T DI-**

…

Smiling, Keitaro carefully placed the card on top of a small circular table. The card was coloured silver and had balloons and stars placed around the edges. The words 'GET WELL SOON' were stuck in the centre with a colourful, jazzy styled font. The card was also very big, which was just as well since there was enough room for everyone to write their message. Next to the card was a silver medal with a star carved inside the metal… living proof that his participation in the tournament was no illusion. He figured Taishi or someone else he knew must have left it there.

Although extremely pleased with the medal, Keitaro was nearly overwhelmed from all the mixed messages inside the card. He had known his residents and friends for some time, but had no idea they could be so caring. Even Chiu wrote a message in his card! How his heart felt ablaze when he realised her words were among the others. He figured the message in bold ink belonged to Taishi. Who else would write with a red permanent marker? From the looks of things Taishi had to be dragged away, or else the whole card would have been recklessly scribbled in red.

"Senpai?"

Keitaro jumped when he heard that voice. That sweet, playful innocence breathing out of her mouth.

"Makie-chan…" Keitaro said.

Keitaro sat up and properly looked at the other end of the facility. Now it was occupied with all of the Hinata-Sou residents, as well as Keitaro's old pals, Makie's friends… even some unknown faces joined the ecstatic group of people. Makie tried her best to look angry and upset at the same time. She only succeeded with the second emotion.

"Senpai… why didn't you tell me? I cannot begin to describe how worried I was every time I saw you fighting! I'm… really cross you know!" Makie explained and pouted.

Keitaro immediately transformed into apologise mode, a mode which, by now, was becoming second nature to him. "Sorry, um I just kinda… forgot?"

"How can you 'just forget' something like that?!" Makie bawled out, arms flaying all over the place.

Before Keitaro could apologise twice, it was far too late, he already found himself being engulfed by pink hair and a faint fragrance of perfume. Makie tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, and Keitaro instinctively traced a hand through her hair. Keitaro always wondered how Makie kept her hair so soft and bouncy. Witnessing the moment, Ako and Yuna looked at each other with a friendly eyesmile. Reluctantly, Makie pulled herself away, wiping away a single tear as she did so.

After Makie's separation, Keitaro then tilted his head upwards, noticing Mana standing beside him. The moment he glanced at those beautiful blue orbs, he shyly turned away. He assumed Mana was probably disappointed with his late defeat against Kenichi. In all honesty, Keitaro felt disappointed with himself.

"Tatsumiya-san… I'm s-"

Mana immediately interrupted him. She placed a hand on his right cheek... and gently pressed her lips against the other. Keitaro felt a chilling sensation enter his mind, which was soon followed with a flourished heat wave across his face.

"Welcome back Keitaro." She greeted after releasing her kiss.

Keitaro scratched his back, feeling an invisible presence clutch his throat. _"Did Tatsumiya-san just…?"_

Mana also felt a presence, though it was clearly the opposite of invisible. Turning around she noticed Haruna and Konoka holding their giggles with two hands. Ako and Nodoka looked somewhat embarrassed, whilst Makie and Yuna were quite… surprised.

"What?" Mana asked.

"Oh it's nothing really!" Haruna laughed. "I take back what I said about you and uh, Yue being together!"

"Mm-hm! Mm-hm!" Konoka nodded in agreement. "Now we know it's you and Keitaro-senpai that are lovers!"

Mana closed her eyes and sighed. "You lot are so immature."

"Psst!" Yuna whispered to Makie. "Some competition perhaps?"

"Oh shut up!" Makie protested.

To add calamity to the commotion, Haitani and Shirai ran and skidded onto their knees, forming an ever so dramatic double prayer. Tears were streaming from their wishful eyes.

"Please Keitaro!" They both begged. "Teach us to fight as great as you! Teach us to stand up for ourselves and never give up!"

Though their minds had other intentions.

"_Maybe Makie-chan will like me if I become a kickass ninja!" _Thought Shirai.

"_Maybe Mana will kiss me if I become some rock solid warrior!" _Thought Haitani.

"Um…" Keitaro began to say. "…well it was Tatsumiya-san who taught me so… maybe she can teach you two as well!"

The two bumble heads rose to their feet and stared intently towards Mana. Their combined puppy pouts was enough to make anyone throw up. Mana crossed her arms and, as she spoke, tried her best not to miss a beat.

"Well," She said. "The first requirement you need to have is discipline. Once you attain that, you will need to exercise the body and use mediation to relax the soul…"

Haitani and Shirai looked at her with a gormless gaze.

"Discipline?" Haitani repeated. "You mean… like washing your hands and brushing your teeth?"

"Will I be able to snack whilst meditating?" Shirai asked.

Mana made a light groaning sound. _"Perhaps an easier answer would be 'no'."_

Suddenly, from nowhere sparked a chain reaction of fireworks, as Taishi swan dived into Keitaro's bed… and no, that wasn't a metaphor. Taishi had literally scattered fireworks all over the place before manically setting all of them off at once. Keitaro's cheek were puffed out as his stomach was well and truly squashed flat.

"Comrade (sob) I'm (sob) so happy (sob) to see you! Wa-WAAAAGGGH!"

With amazing speed, the doctor somehow forced a straight jacket over the blubbering lunatic and was now dragging him outside by the scruff of his collar. Everyone laughed, or at the very least, smiled at Taishi's sudden misfortune.

"Out you go!" The doctor commanded. "Masayoshi-san has warned me about you!"

After he finished laughing, Keitaro let out one big happy sigh. Everything was, more or less, back to normal.

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

Time passed by, three hours to be precise. Keitaro squinted his eyes as he stared into the afternoon sun. Images and sounds of yesterday entered his mind; the tension, the trauma and the overwhelming feeling he received after defeating his opponents. He still wondered if it was just a dream, but it was as real as the warm wind brushing against his hair. It felt so welcoming to be outside, and additionally refreshing to be back in his normal clothes once again.

The library gang and the other girls split up and wandered around the festival, finding any suitable attractions they missed from the previous days. Keitaro however, decided to tag along with Haitani and Shirai, just for the sake of old times. Makie felt reluctant to leave Senpai at first, but in the end she decided to go with the residents, as well as Yuna and Ako. As for Taishi, he was still paying damages due to the disturbance he caused in the medical facility.

Chiu, on the other hand, stated she had some business to attend to, so, much to the other's disappointment, had to leave rather quickly. The net idol waved whilst jogging to her destination, and had to stop a few times to sign autographs from many excited fans. Keitaro wondered if he would ever meet and talk with her again. His eyes were lost somewhere in the clouds.

"Hey Keitaro, check this place out!" Haitani called out.

Keitaro blinked and focused back to reality. He smiled when he looked at the building Haitani pointed towards. Keitaro vaguely remembered this place when he was a Toudai student. On normal days it belonged to the computer club, where the members would study programming and information technology. Now it was decorated with neon light bulbs and other shimmering objects. The main focus was the sign. It read, in large yellow font, 'ARCADE RETRO', and the 'C' resembled the worldly famous computer character, Pacman.

"_Heh, trust Haitani to find such a place." _Keitaro chuckled to himself.

Inside Arcade Retro was a room that could likely resemble an Internet Café. The floor was layered with black and blue squares, sort of resembling a giant chess board. The room was divided into three sections; one third was filled with a variety of eighties styled arcade machines, the centre had people sitting around small round tables, some who which were served tea by a charming waitress in her early thirties, and the section at the end had a selection of wired together laptops, all with access to the Internet. There was also an eighties rock theme thumping in the background, an interesting mix of electric guitars, bass, drums and vocals.

Keitaro, and especially Haitani and Shirai, have developed a liking for retro games ever since they were young. Keitaro remembered one time when he and Shirai were invited over to Haitani's house when the trio were only thirteen. They would play all sorts of computer games, even table top or pen and paper games like Dungeons and Dragons. Heck, sometimes they wouldn't even bother with pens and paper. Haitani, as the games master, would just make up stuff along the way, but it made the game more entertaining, if anything else.

Keitaro felt ignorant for almost discarding that little memory. "_Haitani's parents were still together back then."_

He looked up and his friends had vanished! Already there were playing a game specifically designed for two players, and his friends were often very competitive with each other. He then found an unoccupied arcade machine, colourful and appealing to the eye. Above the main screen was an interesting display of rainbows and monsters.

"_Hey I know this one!" _Keitaro remembered. _"This is Rainbow Islands! I used to played this on Shirai's Atari ST!"_

He felt a tinge of nervousness at first, but then decided to walk boldly towards the machine. He found a few yen coins tucked away in his pocket and inserted them into the coin slot below. A merry ditty was played on screen, indicating the game was all set and ready to go. Keitaro looked at the controls; a joystick on the left and two red buttons on the right. He smiled as he pressed one of the buttons to begin, a mixed feeling of joy and nostalgia.

…

**-0-0-**

He sat on the bench, both hands placed on each knee. He failed to acknowledge the sights and sounds around him… probably because he didn't want to acknowledge them. He felt so out of place, so distant from everyone else.

A small child, completely overwhelmed with happiness, ran around freely, a big bright yellow balloon bobbing up and down in his right hand. The child was only four years old. Not looking where he was going, the boy's head gently bounced off a leg that was as broad as a tree trunk. Confused, the boy looked up and pointed.

"Wow mister, you're really big." The boy said, picking his nose with his free hand.

At once, the boy's mother stepped in and whisked the boy away. "Kozu-chan! What did I say about strangers?"

"Um… that I can play with them?" The boy answered.

"No! You must never talk to strangers!"

"Even if they have candy?"

"_Especially _if they have candy!"

As she took the boy by the hand, the woman was clearly worried with the man's stature.

"Bye mister giant person!" The boy waved goodbye.

"Uh… see ya." He replied.

Diamonji inhaled a deep breath before sighing. He decided… maybe it was time to leave. He was about to push himself off the bench when a cute, slender Chinese girl approached him. She wore a traditional garment, with fiery colours of red and yellow. Her black hair was tied up in the chignon style.

Chao Lingshen bowed herself to meet his level. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" She said with a smile.

"Ah… you have?" Diamonji asked. Two people greeted him today, two more than every other day.

"Mm-hm!" She nodded. "You are herby invited to the main campus, where we will be holding a buffet to honour everyone who participated in the tournament!"

Through conversation, Chao handed him a small invitation. It was paper made and shaped like a heart.

"You can bring a friend or two, if you like!"

With one finger Diamonji scratched his hair. "Ah… uh… I'll think about it."

She titled her head and gave him a cheery eyesmile. Five seconds passed, and already Chao jogged to another location.

Diamonji could only frown.

**-0-0-**

"4100, 4200, 4300..." The doctor counted, as Taishi placed yen notes on top of her desk…"

**-0-0-**

"I can't believe I died on insect world." Keitaro groaned. 'GAME OVER' was flashing on the screen, as if to rub in his dismal defeat. He enjoyed playing computer games, but that didn't mean he was good at any of them, or even remotely adequate.

Shrugging, Keitaro decided to leave the arcade section, moving on to log on one of the many vacant laptops instead. He blinked in surprise at how swiftly he could access the Internet. Instinctively, he logged onto his email and messenger. It has been a while since he checked his account, so he thought 'you never know, I might get one or two messages'.

He received seventy nine.

His breathing stopped, but his hand glided over the touch pad… slowly pressing the 'read mail' button. Once upon a time he received four messages, and Keitaro regarded that as mythical, twisted and alien. Now that alien was wearing star shaped sunglasses, a false moustache, and a tattoo of 'WTF' stamped on its forehead.

"Haitani… Shirai…" Keitaro called out carefully.

By coincidence, his two friends have recently finished their gaming spree. "What's up?" Asked Haitani, the two of them joining him.

"Why do I have seventy nine messages?"

"Dunno…"

Keitaro thought of something. "When I was competing, were you two, by chance, giving away my email address?"

"Uh… maybe." They both replied, looking at the ceiling and scratching their faces.

"GEEZ YOU TWO! THIS IS MY PRIVATE ACCOUNT, NOT SOME FAN BASED CLUB!" Keitaro shouted, clearly in distress.

Shirai ignored Keitaro's ranting, his eyes more focused on the messages Keitaro received. He adjusted his glasses and proceeded to read some of them.

"Dear Keitaro…" He read slowly. "…you were awesome! I want all your babies…!"

"WOAH! SWEET!" Haitani exclaimed. "THAT'S LIKE CYBER SEX!"

Keitaro said nothing. Already Shirai was on the next message. "Hey Keitaro, how about you and me get together, so I can find out how perverted you really are?!"

"WOAH! DOUBLE SWEET!" Haitani cheered. "You should get a website and call it 'Kei'! It'll be like Chiu except it's for fan girls instead!"

"Wow! Even as I'm reading, Keitaro's getting more messages!" Gasped Shirai.

Keitaro still remained silent, but his eyes were bulging out of its sockets.

"Keitaro…" Shirai said, reading the third. "…I want to touch your throbbing hot-"

"**THAT'S ENOUGH!" **Keitaro wailed, closing the laptop with strong authority.

Wicked whispers caused the three of them to stop whatever they were doing. The air was still. Keitaro slowly looked at Shirai before slowly looking at Haitani. In unison, the three of them looked straight ahead. A group of ten girls, aged between sixteen and eighteen, all gazed at the silent Urashima. All of them were dressed in dazzling dresses and other clothing, some daring to show more cleavage than others.

"Is your name Keitaro?" One of them innocently asked.

"Y-yeah…" Keitaro replied.

The combined sounds of high-pitched squealing were enough to set a pack of wolves howling. Arcade Retro… was now a scene of wailing death. Keitaro flew outside like a dart. Haitani and Shirai were not so lucky. They lied in a trampled heap, footprints shown all their clothes and face.

Breathing rapidly, Keitaro ran into the grassy fields, his body twisting and turning as he dodged various people and stalls. Fortunately, Domiko and two other bodyguards rushed to his aid, forming themselves into a defensive wall. Unfortunately, when a group of fan girls spotted someone they deemed famous, their strength and speed were amplified by six hundred percent. Trampling the guards half to death, the girls continued their conquest for capturing the Urashima.

"I really, _really _hate this job!" Groaned Domiko, seeing stars around his head.

Luckily, after much running, Keitaro found a small cluster of trees to take cover. He hugged behind them, and dared not to make one sound.

"_Hope they don't find me here…" _He thought worryingly.

"Aha! I finds the legendary pervert!"

Keitaro jumped with fright, but his fright turned into concern. It wasn't an ordinary fan girl (though fan girls are far from ordinary anyway), but Ku Fei instead, dressed in an ocean blue kimono. Keitaro couldn't remember her name, only her dress that he unceremoniously removed.

Of course, Keitaro being Keitaro, apologised in his usual way. "Listen, I'm really sorry about your dress, but do we have to have a rematch right now?!"

Ku Fei laughed superiorly. "Ha ha ha! Silly pervert! I here not to fight! I here to present you invitation for tonight!"

Keitaro looked at the invitation given to him, a paper shaped heart with all the details. "The main campus? Sounds like a pretty important event. _That's where the talent contest took place._"

"I give invitation to you, but you invite whoever you like… even your fan girls!" Ku Fei suggested.

"Huh?" Keitaro replied… and then he gulped. Fan girls at three o'clock.

"There he is!" One of them called out.

"Come on Kei-kun! Sign my breasts!"

"Hey! Kei-kun! My dress is made of nylon! Please tear it off and render me topless!"

"AAAH! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!"

Ku Fei chortled to herself as Keitaro ran like the wind, thinking whether using this much leg strength was deemed a crime. All the colours, the sights and sounds were but a blur to him. He could hear their cheering slowly fading away. Now all he had to do was find a suitable location to hide from the herd of female wildebeest. Keitaro scouted around the vicinity. Some trees, a clown handing out balloons, a game stall… and a colourful looking attraction resembling a photo booth.

"Hey! A purikura photo machine!" Keitaro said to himself.

Taking his plan to chance, Keitaro went for it. With a few strides he opened and closed its door… and waited nervously for his fans to pass by. He snuck in just before the girls could catch his scent.

"Where did he go?" One asked as she surveyed the scene.

"Not sure." Replied another.

One girl pointed at a certain photo booth. "You think he went in here?"

Keitaro covered his ears and closed his eyes. _"No Keitaro is not in here! Keitaro Urashima is definitely not in here!"_

Thankfully, the 'leader' of the pack shook her head. "Don't be silly! Only a loser would take photos of himself!"

"Yeah… you're right." One sighed. "C'mon let's spread out! He couldn't have gotten too far!"

"Yeah! Let's go already!"

Once the energetic voices died down, Keitaro breathed a sigh of relief, and a much needed one at that. Heaven knows what would of happened if he got caught. Keitaro looked at all the buttons he expected to see inside the booth. He could have a photograph done with a small, medium or large size, and even have a glossy finish, if he so desired.

"_It's been ages since I've taken a picture of myself." _

This was indeed true. Every month, Keitaro used to take a picture of himself, to successfully fulfil his lousy and lifeless hobby. The photos he took then were more or less exactly the same, except on one occasion where he developed a serious case of acne. Why he kept that photo no one knows. He popped a coin into the slot and selected a small photo with glossy finish. He adjusted the seat so his eyes were level with the small screen. There was a buzzing sound as the infra red circle blinked twice…

…and then… 'fwoosh' there was a quiet flash of light.

Keitaro remained smiling even as the photo was being processed. Behind the smile however, Keitaro was unsatisfied. He had enjoyed taking photos of himself for as long as he could remember. Now there was a feeling of emptiness.

"Wow… I feel pretty depressed." He said to himself. "Wonder why?"

"I think… I know why…"

His eyes widened, and suddenly looked to the right. Sayo appeared and stood floating by his side. She stretched her arms and yawned.

"Sayo-san!" Keitaro said with surprise. "You're awake!"

Sayo smiled and listened to the machine produce a single photograph. Keitaro plucked it out of the receiving end and stared at the finished picture.

"It feels strange…" Keitaro said open-mindedly. "I used to take pictures of myself all the time, but now the feeling is… somewhat empty."

"Kei-kun…" Sayo began to say. "…I think… I think you got it the wrong way round…"

"What do you mean?"

The spirit sighed. When they were young, Sayo remembered he was a tad on the clueless side. At least that part of him hadn't changed.

"What I'm trying to say is, you never were happy to begin with. You only assumed you were happy to make yourself feel better… but nobody feels happy when they are alone, especially for such a long time."

"And… now I have lots of friends. Friends who care about me." Keitaro realised. "So this photo I took… just serves as a reminder of how miserable my life truly was."

Sayo didn't answer, but Keitaro took her prolonged silence as an agreement to his theory.

"But taking these photos isn't a bad thing." Sayo suddenly said.

Keitaro turned to face her. "It isn't?" He asked.

"Nope! As long as you have someone else to share the moment!"

Keitaro thought for a few seconds, then snapped his fingers. He fished out another coin and eagerly placed it into the slot.

"What are you doing?" Sayo asked.

"Shhh!" Keitaro whispered. "Look at the screen and smile! _I hope this works!_"

…

_(fwooosh)_

He waited patiently for the photo to come out. When it did, Keitaro blew and waved it a few times before very slowly looking at the finished product. They gasped in unison. Her face and features were very faint, but still visible. More importantly, they were both smiling, and this time round, Keitaro's smile was natural, not forced.

"Omigosh!" Sayo gasped. "How did you know that would work?!"

"I didn't!" Keitaro replied, still amazed his idea was successful. "I just… wow! I mean… this rocks!"

"I really need to straighten out my hair!"

"Ha ha! You're a ghost! You don't need to worry about stuff like that!"

"Spirits have priorities too you know!"

"Ha ha!"

…

**-0-0-**

The residents and library group explored the many wonders the festival had on show. Some attractions were familiar, others they had not seen before. Souvenirs were purchased, luxurious edibles were eaten and laughter was shared. Now, after some time, all eight girls were reunited once again.

Well… actually, there was still one area they hadn't visited.

"Wonder what is inside there?" Konoka questioned, pointing at a certain cubical of machinery.

Yuna shrugged. "Meh, it's just a purikura photo machine. Nothing special."

"It _is _special!" Nodoka protested (very politely mind you). "The photos could serve as great memories!"

"Hey you're right Nodoka-chan!" Makie agreed with glee. "Um, anyone got any spare change? I spent my last note on a Gundam doll…"

"I've got a few coins spare…"

"I've got a couple."

"Well, let's go already!"

"Alright!"

Makie swung the door open. Sayo knew her visage wouldn't be detected by normal eyes, but to be extra safe, she disappeared into Keitaro. Keitaro quickly concealed a handful of photos into his jean pocket. Makie flung back in surprise, and all the other girls, now knowing who was inside, were startled as well.

"Senpai?! What are you doing here?" Makie asked and gasped.

"Uhhh… hey everyone!" Keitaro laughed sheepishly. "Ahhh… I was just playing hide and seek!"

"From who?" Mana asked.

"Fans."

"Fans?" Most of them replied.

Keitaro sighed. He explained the situation where he was chased by a group of manic young teenagers, and had remained hiding in the photo booth ever since. Keitaro shrugged when asked by Makie the whereabouts of his pals, though if everyone would have turned the opposite direction, they would have seen Haitani and Shirai being carried off in a stretcher.

…

"Try to relax you two." A medical assistant suggested.

"Uuugh… five of them were Cs… I think the brunette was a D…" Haitani said hazily, raising a finger in the air.

Another assistant sighed. "Too many victims of 'fan girl stampedes' these days."

…

As Keitaro stepped outside the booth, he noticed the air had turned slightly cooler than what it once was, though it was still far from cold. He felt a little embarrassed knowing so many girls. Meeting four everyday in Hinata-Sou was hard enough to get used to. As he looked around the large group, Keitaro realised the three unfamiliar faces. One of them had an excited look on her face. She wore slender, rectangular glasses and her long black hair had two antennas poking out at the top of her head. The second girl had hair similar to the first, perhaps a little longer. Her smile was adorably cute. The last one looked very nervous, perhaps twice more so than Makie's friend, Ako. Her eyes were completely obscured with navy hair, and her hairstyle was considerably shorter than her pals.

"Um, sorry, but I don't think we ever met." Keitaro said honestly to Haruna. _"Though she did write inside the card. Maybe she's a friend of Yue-chan?"_

"Yeah, you're right!" Haruna replied cheerfully. "C'mon Yue-chan! Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"No." Said Yue.

Keitaro slumped a little. _"Maybe not."_

Haruna sagged her shoulders and sighed. "Alright, fine I'll introduce us! I'm Haruna! Manga extraordinaire and generator of original writings and art!"

"Even if you cover her mouth, she still doesn't stop talking." Yue added, grumbling as she did so.

Haruna outstretched her hand in greeting. Keitaro matched her hand with his, though he did wonder why Haruna used a western style greeting, especially since she was clearly of a Japanese origin. Keitaro decided her personality was a little… offbeat.

"I'm Konoka! Pleased to meet you!" Konoka chirped, keeping her introduction short and sweet. She waved in a cheery manner, to which Keitaro waved back.

"_She's kinda sweet." _He thought.

"If you put a pin against her head, she would go 'pop'." Remarked Yue.

Keitaro then looked at Nodoka. She stood like a frightened rabbit, not knowing how to react or introduce herself.

"Um… I-I'm N-Nodoka…" The timid girl said at last.

"Pleased to meet you!" Replied Keitaro.

Keitaro cautiously stared at her. It looked like she was going to bow, a traditional greeting Keitaro was used to. After all, that was he how he introduced all of his guests who set foot in Hinata-Sou. Keitaro decided to mimic her greeting, and they both bowed at the same time. Unfortunately, because the two of them were so close together, they abruptly bumped heads, sounding like two clonking coconuts.

"Ow…" They both said, rubbing their temples.

This silly moment caused everyone to laugh, including Keitaro and Nodoka, but excluding Yue.

"You know if you actually give her a can of coke and wait for a few seconds, the can would explode." Yue said, though she kind of knew nobody was listening to her.

"Well what are we waiting for?! Let's make some memories!" Haruna cheered.

"Hear, hear!" Added Yuna.

The library club (except Yue) were the first to squeeze into the photo booth. They struck many silly poses except Nodoka who only sat in between them looking very embarrassed. After taking eight shots, Makie and her friends decided to enter inside. Some shots they looked normal, other shots they were pulling daft faces.

"Come on Keitaro-san! It's your turn now!" Said Haruna.

Keitaro had no time to decline, as his arms were being dragged by Haruna and Yuna. He found himself inside once again. Haruna grabbed a pocketful of change and, one by one, placed them all into the coin slot. Haruna and Yuna them disappeared, giggling to themselves as they did so. Keitaro felt nervous. What were they planning?

Suddenly, Nodoka found herself being pushed in, sitting unceremoniously next to Keitaro. They had barely enough time to prepare themselves as the screen flashed in front of them. The photo was priceless. Both of them stared at the screen as though they were watching a horror movie. Then, an arm grabbed hold of Nodoka as she was whisked away. Konoka was the next girl to join adjacently with Keitaro. She beamed a cheery eyesmile, whilst Keitaro tried to make his smile as natural as possible… but failed miserably. The screen flashed for a second time. When Konoka vanished away, Haruna practically jumped from nowhere, not caring in the least how close she was to Keitaro. She stuck her tongue out and winked, whilst Keitaro had a look that suggested someone shot him in the groin.

"Okay who is up next?" Haruna asked, still radiating with excitement.

Ako twiddled her thumbs. At this stage, the lavender haired girl was in two minds going through with this. Yuna and Makie, however, gave her a 'helping hand.'

"Waaaagh! Stop carrying me!" Ako wailed.

"Don't be a sour trout Ako-chan!" Yuna said. "It was Keitaro's 'magic touch' that saved you! You owe him one!"

"_M-magic touch?" _Ako thought, wondering what on earth her friend was on about.

Her thoughts were cut short when she was literally hurled into Keitaro's lap, in which Keitaro instinctively caught her in mid-flight. The flash went off just in time. Of course, given the situation, both of them had extremely bewildered faces. Yuna was next, classically posing with a cool victory sign and a wink, and when it was Makie's turn, she happily bounced next to Keitaro, making a big bright girly smile when she did so. Although Keitaro's face was staring at the screen, his eyes couldn't help but shift towards Makie's direction. He secretly admitted he enjoyed Makie's company.

Mana was the next to join Keitaro's side. It was kind of awkward for them to be in this situation, considering everything they have been through. Despite this, Mana showed relaxed eyes and a smile as the machine flashed for the umpteenth time. As Mana walked out, Keitaro noticed a paper shaped heart resting snugly inside her pocket. Obviously someone must had approached her the same way they approached Keitaro.

Yue was last, who batted Haruna's hand away before it could grab and hurl her into the booth. She walked in without the aid of the librarian morons.

"Hey Keitaro-san." Yue said.

"Hey Yue-chan." Keitaro replied.

At first sight, Keitaro thought Yue wasn't going to bother smiling. Just before the flash however, her lips curved… just slightly.

_(fwoosh…)_

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

"I guess the rumours are true. Girls really do make you wait longer than intended." Haitani remarked, hands in pockets. Thankfully, he and Shirai have finally recovered, with only a few minor fan girl injuries intact.

Shirai glanced at his wrist watch, showing the time had just gone eight o'clock. "Oh, sorry." He said, realising he was blocking the way of a few people passing by. He figured they were more guests here for the buffet held in the main campus.

Keitaro wasn't really paying attention to Haitani's complaint. His eyes were more focused on all the purikura photographs he held happily with both hands. Comical tears were streaming down his cheeks. _"I've never been so happy in all my life!" _He cried.

"Hey, boys! We didn't keep you waiting did we?"

After hearing Haruna's voice, Keitaro, Haitani and Shirai all looked straight ahead. Never had they seen a view so colourful and attractive. All of the girls had replaced their casual wear in favour for beautifully, hand-crafted kimonos, each one a different colour from the last. Makie's, Yue's and Mana's kimonos stood out the most, or so Keitaro thought anyway. Makie's kimono was a lush shade of indigo, with a floral design, containing a lighter shade of the main colour. Mana had chosen an elegant white number, filled with many designs of black Chinese dragons, their long, slender bodies intertwining into ornate patterns. Considering her sense of fashion was normally somewhat... bland, Yue wore a rather surprising diamond patterned kimono, each diamond a different shade of blue. Even their hairstyles had changed! Makie attempted a chignon style, Mana tied up her hair in a complicated, yet graceful fashion, tying it all back with a small silver comb, and Yue had two big loops of hair, one on each side… although she did look kind of embarrassed with the new makeover. Perhaps she had a little help from one or two of the other girls. Needless to say, the residents of Hinata-Sou have undergone a dramatic makeover, one that Keitaro would never forget for a long time.

Though Keitaro and his friends looked nowhere near as stunning, they did make an effort at being presentable, thanks to a nearby clothes stall. Keitaro wore a bright red shirt with silver buttons, and faded blue jeans. Haitani wore a dark grey number that looked like it had been scattered all over with multicoloured confetti, as well as maroon coloured jeans. Shirai wore a short sleeved white shirt and navy jeans, with thankfully enough baggage to maintain his waistline.

The three of them looked at themselves, the ground and even the cloudless dark sky in order to find anything half decent to say. In actuality, it was the lack of words that made the girls realise how beautiful they really were.

Yuna placed her hands on her hips and grinned. "Well check out the speechless crew!"

Mana nodded and smiled. "Haitani and Shirai's silence may take some getting used to."

"Well… ah… um… let's get going shall we?" Keitaro said at last, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so.

The queue was long, but was quickly descending thanks to Domiko's experience, especially when it came to dealing with 'hagglers', so to speak. When he was in front, Keitaro nervously handed him the paper heart, to which Domiko simply nodded and allowed him access inside. As Haitani and Shirai followed suit as Keitaro's guests, Mana was next in line to show Domiko her invitation. Again Domiko nodded in acceptance, but frowned when he realised when Mana brought along her guests… namely, the rest of the girls.

**-0-0-**

Keitaro was greeted with a wave of light, warm air. It didn't seem long ago since he watched the Talent Contest, but with all the rows of seats removed, the main campus looked so _huge_! The room was filled with people, including Kenichi, Hayato, Masayoshi, Taishi, a few unknown guys dressed in cosplay outfits and even some Internet idols, all of them wearing a spectacular array of clothes and colour. Takane and Mei were also present, both wearing long gowns suitable for a night such as this one. They exchanged brief glances with Keitaro, to which Takane frowned angrily and to which Mei made a shy wave at the 'legendary pervert'. Many known and unknown faces surrounded Keitaro, making him feel nervous and excited at the same time. Lots of conversation, both casual and formal, echoed the air rather delicately. The overall ambience was somewhat charming, with a couple of hearty laughs thrown in for good measure.

Keitaro quickly focused on the familiar four man group. Kenichi wore jeans and an impressive short sleeved shirt, which was coloured black on the right side and white on the left. Hayato and Masayoshi wore traditional black and white tuxedoes, though how they found a size to fit Hayato was nothing short of amazing. Taishi wore a vertically striped silver and gold suit, which sparkled as much as his sunglasses and teeth combined. All of them were holding a fancy glass filled with red wine. Keitaro flinched when Taishi spotted him through the crowds. He raised his glass and shouted his name… well, nickname.

"LEGENDARY PERVERT! WELCOME BACK!" Taishi called out.

"Keitaro-san! Over here!" Kenichi added.

Masayoshi simply smiled whilst Hayato boomed with laughter, acknowledging Keitaro's presence in a respectable manner.

**-0-0-**

Behind a closed door was the kitchen. It was small in size but filled with an array of ingredients and food. Four girls rushed professionally around the room. One girl was dicing vegetables in rapid speed, another was tossing pancakes beneath the hob, a third girl was whisking egg yolk and butter inside a clear bowl, and the forth girl was delicately placing the final touches on one of her favoured dishes. All of them were wearing black and yellow kimonos.

As she finished hurling a pancake, Chao glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "Ku Fei, I know you are eager to help, but can you not use your hands for chopping the veg?"

The coloured Chinese lady protested in her usual broken language. "But my hands are clean and fresh!"

"Just use the kitchen knife."

"Okay, okay!"

The other two girls preparing the food were good friends with Chao and Ku Fei, and the four have known each other for quite some time. Their names were Satomi Hakase and Satsuki Yotsuba. Satomi's appearance was mostly concealed with her circular shaped glasses. She had amber eyes and her black hair was tied up carefully into two braided ponytails. Another noticeable feature about Satomi was her forehead, to which, save four a few tufts of hair, was clearly visible. Satsuki's face was slightly chubby, giving her a sort of childish cuteness. She had short brown hair tied with a yellow ribbon and brown eyes. When it came to cooking and food preparation, Satsuki seemed to be the most dedicated and hard working of the four. Both Satomi and Satsuki were seventeen years of age.

"So Satomi-chan, or should I say… Sai-chan, how did your net-idol career go?" Satsuki asked as she made some additional touches.

Satomi slumped as she heard her words. "Sucked." She replied, matter of speaking. "I waited for ages and only one person was interested in seeing me."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

"Yeah… well, mind you, the guy who met me did seem kinda nice."

"Ooooh?" Interrupted Chao. "What did he look like?"

Satomi placed a finger on her lips and she tried to memorise what the man looked like. "Well, he wasn't really very tall. About 5'7 or 5'8?"

Chao pressed on for further details. "Anything else?"

"Oh yeah! He had really scruffy black hair!"

Chao frowned.

"Oh and he wore big, rectangular glasses!"

Chao frowned deeper. Suspicions were raised to a higher degree.

"Ah , and he accidentally looked at my panties."

"AHA!" Ku Fei shouted, spinning around and causing many carrots to scatter all over the place. "That him! The legendary pervert!"

"Legendary pervert?" Satomi repeated in confusion.

Satsuki meanwhile had got back to her usual food procedure. This conversation had grown much too weird for her.

"Did you not know?" Said Ku Fei. "He come second in tournament!"

"Yeah…" Chao half groaned. "…and rendered us semi-naked to get there."

"Well, to me he did seem like an honest, caring person." said Satomi.

Chao rolled her eyes. "Last time I checked, honest, caring people do not render other people semi-naked."

**-0-0-**

A slight, distorted screech alerted everyone's attention as Masayoshi tampered with his microphone.

"**May I have your attention please, I would just like to say a few words. I must thank each and every one of you for attending this wonderful evening. I'm sure most of you have already found the bar, as well as our range of… alcoholic beverages."**

There was a pleasant moment of laughter before the principal continued.

"**I would also like to take this opportunity to thank two people who have helped made the festival a truly memorable occasion. Taishi Kuhonbutsu, heh, who is cheering already I see. Two days ago, Taishi played a fantastic lead role in the Cosplay Cavern, earning over 350,000 yen in profit which will be donated to the Tokyo Hospital Centre. He also took part as one of the announcers in the Tuftee Tournament. So please, ladies and gentlemen, let's all give a hearty round of applause to the man who is quite simply one of a kind, Taishi Kuhonbutsu!"**

Naturally, Taishi basked himself in the moment as he bowed gracefully from all angles. Everyone did not hesitate to applaud loudly in his direction.

"_Way to go Taishi." _Keitaro thought as he clapped. Despite his in-your-face attitude, it was impossible for Keitaro to dislike the guy. Taishi had done so much to raise a smile or two, not to mention give Keitaro that much needed kick start for the tournament. Taishi richly deserved all the praise he received.

"_So Taishi did all this for charity?" _Yue thought, with a petit smile. _"I thought he was doing all this for profit. That's pretty impressive."_

"**Another that deserves utmost recognition, is the world famous Internet Idol, Chiu. Unfortunately, Chiu cannot be with us tonight, but nonetheless, let me take this time to tell you what a wonder and honour it is to have such a magnificent young lady helping us. Chiu has helped us on many occasions, including auditioning the talent contest, and literally in the last minute becoming our second announcer for the tournament. Her presence alone has truly delighted many fans old and young. Chiu we cannot thank you enough."**

Before he even finished, everyone had already applauded and cheered in honour for Chiu. The ambience was record breaking.

Though he joined in the applause, Keitaro still felt slightly disappointed from not seeing the idol again in person. _"It would have been nice to see her again." _He thought with a solemn expression.

Taishi jogged towards Masayoshi and whispered a few words in his ears.

"**Oh! I almost forgot! During the afternoon we held a special awards ceremony for our four Tuftee finalists, but unfortunately… Keitaro Urashima could not attend the ceremony due to his injuries… so let me take this opportunity to congratulate Keitaro on a well earned second place! Congratulations!"**

Keitaro was too stunned to say anything. The applause was overwhelming for him. "Th-thanks." He decided to say.

"_Perhaps him leaving Toudai as a student was for the best. Just look at him now." _Thought Masayoshi as he joined in the applause. **"Okay everyone, I know we are all more than a little hungry, so without further ado, let me present to you our food for this evening!"**

The timing was absolutely spot on. The moment Masayoshi finished his speech was the moment Chao, Satsuki, Satomi and Ku Fei all appeared from the kitchen. Each girl, presentable and charming in their own way, were each pushing a hostess trolley, filled with an assortment of succulent cooked food.

Ku Fei's tray contained plates of generously sized fried shrimp burgers, ideal for those who wanted to try something with a western edge. Satomi's tray contained a variety of curry dishes, ranging from chicken, beef and pork, and with sauces varying from mild to spicy. Satsuki's tray was perhaps the more traditional of the four, containing savoury pancakes, filled with various meat, vegetables and different sauces, also known as 'okonomiyaki'. For the vegetarians, Chao's tray contained just that, a selection of vegetable dishes and other foods free of meat.

There was an accumulated joy as people rushed in to help themselves to whatever food they desired. As Keitaro helped himself to a bowl of chicken curry, a massive hand slapped him on the back, giving Keitaro an unwanted stinging effect. He turned around to see Harima, who already was clearly drunk beyond belief.

"HA HA! What did I tell ya Glasses? I told you Keitaro prefers curry! You owe me a thousand yen!"

Hanai, who was behind Harima at the time, crossed his arms sternly. "I never made a bet with you! You just said 'I bet Keitaro prefers curry' and left it as that!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

As Hanai and Harima engaged in yet another argument, Keitaro was immediately greeted by a small girl with piglet tails.

"Hey! You're that pervert person aren't ya?" Tenma asked in a chirping way. Keitaro wasn't sure if she was drunk or had always acted this way against people. "I always wondered how you did that white magic thing! You know! That thing that goes SWOOSH! WOOOAH… and then KAPOW!"

Yakumo found an ideal place to hide herself away from her embarrassing older sister.

"Uh, yeah, nice sound effects Tenma-chan!" Mikoto sniggered. "Sorry about this, she always acts this way!"

Keitaro laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Ha ha! It's no problem really!"

Tenma pouted and her pigtails wilted. "Mikoto-chan is so mean!"

Meanwhile Makie was sitting on a round table opposite the wrestling machine Ukita. Ukita showed Makie a photo collection of his beloved pet Yagumi the kitten.

"Omigosh! He's sooo cute!" Makie squealed.

"Isn't he just?!" Ukita squealed also, which bare in mind he was a muscular guy, and muscular guys squealing was… just plain wrong. "Don't you love that little white spot on his tummy?"

"I sure do!" Makie replied, still squealing. "It makes him look so adorable!"

Takeda was chilling against a wall, whilst Yuna stared at him with a sort of heroic worship. Yue and Oji found themselves talking continuously about life and finance… and the correct theory as of why pig tails were always so curly. Ako and Mei were also chatting on a few subjects, though the way Mei described all her bloody battles to date nearly caused Ako to collapse again. Mana remained satisfied in solitude. Enjoying the sights, sounds and food was more than enough for her. After hearing they were old friends of Keitaro, Taishi, Haitani and Shirai were all laughing in a group, drinking countless glasses of wine and other alcohol. To put it in technical terms, all three of them were utterly shit-faced.

Suddenly, attention was drawn upon Hayato and his prize student Kenichi, probably because Hayato was dragging his student by the legs. Kenichi's nails dug deep into the floor, even as he was being pulled away.

"Waaaiiigh! Sensei! Can't we just stay a little longer?! I haven't even tried one of those pancakes yet!" Kenichi pleaded.

Hayato laughed merrily, as if these sorts of occurrences happen every day. "OH HO HO! We can't have you slacking off now can we? Also, nearly coming second in a tournament is unacceptable by my standards, so that means extra training from now on!"

"Sensei! Have mercy! Please!"

Takeda shrugged. "Guess we better shoot off too."

"Wait!" Makie interrupted, as Ukita was about to leave. "Here's my mobile number! Please send me more photos of your precious kitten!"

"You got it Makie-chan!" Ukita grinned with a thumbs up.

"Wait! Here's my number as well!" Yuna said, though she was talking to Takeda. "Here's my mobile number! Be sure to send me pictures of… ah you! Preferably in poses!"

"Ah… sure…" Takeda replied.

The room was a little quieter when the four fighters left the vicinity. However, five or so minutes later, Diamonji slowly opened the door with a creaking noise. Nearly everyone stopped and looked at him with silence. Other than his hair, Diamonji didn't really smarten himself up for such an occasion… probably since he didn't know how to. Fortunately, a loud, thunderous voice greeted him.

"HEY MAN! COME HERE AND PULL UP A SEAT!"

Diamonji glanced up and looked at Hyozanryu. The massive sumo wrestler was sitting by himself in the bar, and it was apparent he needed a drinking buddy. Hyozanryu was knocking back drinks like no tomorrow. Cautiously, Diamonji approached him by sitting on his right. Though they were two rock hard heavyweights, it was obvious they couldn't hold their own in a drinking contest. It took a while for Diamonji to loosen up, but when he did, he looked just as happy as everyone else.

Lastly, Takane looked at everyone whilst drinking a glass of banana flavoured milkshake, complete with a silly red and white straw.

"What a bunch of weirdoes." She said to herself.

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

Twice she lied; once as Chisame, once as Chiu. She hated lying, but it was the only way she could escape out of a perilous predicament. It was all to avoid confusion more than anything else, but that didn't mean she felt satisfied inside. When the residents and Keitaro would finally arrive at Hinata-Sou, how would they react if they couldn't find or locate the fiery redhead? No, she had to get there before they did. It was the only way. Her plan was simple; get a cab, find a restaurant near Hinata-Sou, relax a little and finally make her way up those mountainous stairs. Hopefully by that time she would 'accidentally' bump into her associates.

She relaxed heavily on the passenger seat, wearing her regular clothing at long last. The ambience of merry people in the dark were muffled from the closed windows. They were people who had recently left the festival, though their high spirits remained intact. In her rucksack was filled with an assortment of costumes she brought with her to the festival, various clothing that would burst open should the zipper be moved a millimetre. The festival lasted three days and three nights. Nearly all of that time, Chiu was in the spotlight, entertaining people left, right and centre… and she enjoyed every second of it.

But her feet were _killing _her. Chisame figured she would have to rest a few weeks before trying on high heels again…

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

A large bonfire, gathered together with bundles of old wood and other discarded belongings, burned and crackled brightly in the fields of Toudai. An old, proud man in a suit was playing the violin in a sad but mesmerising harmony. The song itself felt as though it portrayed the end of the festival, the end of a truly wonderful experience. Many people stood around the bonfire in a large circle. Some of them were clapping to the melodic rhythm, some took pictures with their cameras, others… were just satisfied the way they were.

Keitaro, reunited with friends and residents, all walked until they reached this final destination. Of course by this late hour, all stalls and attractions were closed. Most of the stall owners had already taken their belongings before leaving the vicinity. With all the stalls gone, the fields of Toudai appeared even larger than before. The group stared in fascination. Yue, smiling, took a few pictures of the blazing fire and all the people enjoying themselves.

Keitaro felt bold. Perhaps he became confident after his taking part in the tournament. Perhaps it was just a spur of the moment. Whatever his reason was for feeling this way, Keitaro did not alter his one track mind. He walked up to Mana and offered an outstretched hand. This naturally caused a few heads to turn in their direction.

"Um… Tatsumiya-san? Would you care to dance?" He asked.

With a broad smile, Mana reached out and touched his hand with her own. Everyone watched as master and student took their first steps. At one stage, Mana accidentally trodden his foot, apologising straight away afterwards. Then Keitaro made a fumble, tripping his partner and nearly causing both of them to fall over. Thankfully that wasn't the case, but Keitaro, of course, apologised for his clumsiness. Their dancing skills were best described as amateurish, but after a few minutes, they had steadily begun to improve.

"Son of a bitch!" Haitani exclaimed. "How the hell did he get so confident?"

Makie suddenly felt jealous, and hated herself for feeling this way. To neglect the jealousy, Makie, without warning, rushed over to the nearest guy she could find, and whisked him away to the centre of attention. That guy just so happened to be Shirai.

"Makie-chan! Wait! My stomach is still full!" But Shirai's protest was in vain.

"Come on Shirai-senpai! Let's roll!" Makie said seriously.

"Heh…" Grinned Yue. She took a few extra photos of Mana and Keitaro, followed by a few of Makie and Shirai. She continued smiling as more people entered the circle. Thanks to Keitaro's confidence, other people took a deep breath and asked their boyfriends and girlfriends if they would dance with them.

"Yoo-hoo! Yue-chan!" Haruna called out. It was hard for Yue to ignore Haruna because her face was right in her camera shot. In fact, Haruna's face was pressed against the camera itself.

Yue sighed, she shoved the camera in Haruna's big wide mouth and quickly forced Haitani to dance with her. She would do anything just to get away from that weirdo. Konoka and Nodoka watched the scene with sweat drops.

"They sure are getting along aren't they? Konoka chirped. Nodoka didn't know whether her friend was being sarcastic or just a little ditzy.

After much time the violin player finished his piece and bowed, receiving a heavy applause from all the spectators. Everyone looked up as an array of multicoloured fireworks shot off into the sky, all of them exploding spectacularly. As they still held hands, Keitaro and Mana watched the dazzling display with fascination.

"Wonderful… aren't they?" Mana said softly.

Keitaro nodded slowly. "They sure are."

A gigantic firework signalled the end of Toudai Festival, filling the night with a blinding whiteness.

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

She walked alone at night, away from the heart of the city, away from anyplace that held even the slightest of sounds. Her snow white hair flowed with the wind. She had no expression on her face. She wore a green sweater, army jeans and black boots.

It was an alleyway unfitting for a woman with such grace, but she walked onwards nonetheless. Two trashcans were placed in a corner. One of them had tipped over, revealing all its discarded waste inside. A black and white kitten meowed sorrowfully. He scrounged the contents for anything edible, but looked saddened after having no such luck. The woman approached the kitten and knelt down to meet his level. She acquired a handful of food from her pocket and offered it to him. He was reluctant to begin with, but the sincerity in her eyes told the kitten it was okay. He ate and licked off her hand and purred afterwards. The woman smiled and petted his head before returning to her path.

She walked onwards, removing her clothes with every step she took. Sparks of electricity were flying out of her body. Her skin and body structure changed dramatically. A battle suit of futuristic origin appeared where her clothes once belonged. Her hair was surrounded by static energy. Once the static disappeared, a vivid green replaced the snow white. To complete the transformation, two triangular ears appeared atop her head.

She reached a dead end, where a shadowy figure was waiting for her. The one waiting wore a black gothic dress and her lush blonde hair reached all the way down to her ankles. She was but a girl… a small girl with a personality darker than black.

The android handed her a selection of photographs, to which the girl accepted immediately. Her grin was most sinister. At once, the vampire concealed herself with her black cloak… and flew straight into the sky. The android followed her destination, flying with rocket boosters which appeared beneath her feet.

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

Bidding goodbye to friends old and new, Keitaro and the residents at last left the festival. After Mana made a phone call, a cab arrived fifteen minutes later, to which they all managed to squeeze into. The driver grunted, not expecting so many people in one vehicle, but even so he took them to their requested destination.

Chisame, meanwhile, had already reached there before the others. She was exhausted but forced herself to work her way up those monstrous steps.

"That's one small step for Chisame… and one large step towards passing out." She yawned as she reached the top. She never expected them to be this late, but then again, her skill of judgement had never been accurate to begin with. Trying to ignore the coldness from the ground, Chisame sat by the main door and waited. She briefly wondered why nobody tried to ring her up. As she looked at her mobile phone however, she realised the batteries were used up, for quite a while it would seem.

…

…

…

…

Makie shuffled her way upstairs like a zombie. Her eyes were half closed and the mind was about to subside to dreamland. Yue was snoring and had to be escorted via piggyback from Mana. Of course Keitaro showed great fatigue as well. When they reached the top, Keitaro was the first to spot Chisame. She was already asleep, curled beside the main door like a cat.

"Hasegawa-san!" Keitaro called out. He found newly acquired strength as he doubled his speed towards her. Mana and Makie quickly joined them.

Fortunately Keitaro's voice was enough to stir Chisame awake. She removed her glasses and looked at Keitaro with tired eyes.

"Phew! You're alright! Thank goodness!" Keitaro sighed with relief.

"Manager-san… hey. How… how did the festival go?" Chisame asked with a sleepy voice.

"Really well!" Keitaro answered. "Quite a few things happened! Lots of things in fact!"

Chisame smiled, as if she knew something Keitaro did not.

"Heh, I bet."

…

…

_Author: Hope you enjoyed Toudai Festival!! See you next time!_


	29. Hasegawa the Hinata Housemaid

**Chapter Twenty Nine - Hasegawa the Hinata Housemaid**

…

"I quit."

Daichi frowned but remained calm. He carefully removed the cigar from his mouth and placed it on his silver ashtray. It seemed Daichi valued his cigars more than the people working for him, or perhaps in his opinion, the people beneath him. The thick smell of smoke filled the small room, and it was a scent nauseating for anyone not used to the taste of cigars. In the corner was a regular sized plant pot, though the plant itself had seen better days. The plant had wilted, showing dismal colours of brown and yellow.

"And why do you wish to do that, Hasegawa?" He asked.

From her pocket, Chisame withdraw a rolled up copy of the latest edition of 'Play: Planet XZ'; a magazine that specialises in reviewing games for various computer consoles. She whisked through the magazine until she found the page she needed. With righteous power, Chisame slammed the open magazine right in front of Daichi's eyes.

"Must be quite an achievement to obtain a score below zero." She uttered venomously.

With disinterest, Daichi skimmed through the review, looking at the score from the game courtesy of Star Rock Enterprises. After avoiding some heavy criticism, his eyes glanced at the big red numbers. Minus fifty percent.

"So it was a flop." Daichi said as he shrugged. "Not all games we make have to be successful."

Chisame continued the conversational warpath, and pointed to a specific section of the review. "Just listen to this part. 'Graphics and sound aside, Karate Destruction's key flaw is the near inability to execute special moves. Take character Karate Danny for instance. To use his special move; the flying uppercut, you have to hold down four buttons and rotate the control pad 360 degrees. By the time you even attempt that, your opponent would have smashed you in the face a billion times.' Well how about that? I could have sworn I said something along those lines… oh wait I actually did, didn't I? Every game you've given me I've criticised, but all my opinions have been utterly ignored. I'm sick of this bullshit."

Daichi closed his eyes and slowly began to clench his fist. "Hasegawa…" He started to say, but Chisame was far from finished.

"Oh, and what do you mean by 'not all games we make have to be successful?' Do you even care about the games your people design? Of course you fucking don't! You're just in it for the money! You're just a fat, pompous, bigoted…"

Daichi finally blew a fuse. He slammed both hands on his worktable, causing his ashtray to flip upside down.

"THAT'S ENOUGH HASEGAWA." He roared. "GET OUT. YOU'RE FIRED. I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE EVER AGAIN."

Chisame did not flinch, nor make any kind of nervous reaction from Daichi's outburst. Instead she took it all very professionally, because deep down, she knew she was far superior to the man who obviously cared about nothing but his own presence. Chisame simply turned the other way and walked four paces towards the door.

Daichi relaxed a little, taking another puff on his large cigar. "Let that be a lesson to me. Never let a girl do a man's job." He muttered.

Chisame stopped walking. She overheard his words. Part of her wanted to walk on and forget what he had said. Part of her didn't.

…

From the main workplace, everyone stopped their game testing the second they heard a sickening crunch, later heard by a massive thud. When Chisame opened the door, everyone quickly reverted to their computers, none of them uttering a single word. When she was out of sight, one staff member cautiously entered Daichi's room, carrying with him a report summary. When he peeked inside, the man found out that Daichi was slumped in a corner whilst wearing a plant pot on top of his head.

"I'll call back later." The man decided to say.

…

Chisame impatiently waited as the lift took her to the ground floor and reception. When the metal doors slid open, Chisame promptly stormed out, not even bothering to speak to the female receptionist. She forced the main door open, and at last was greeted by a welcoming breeze of fresh air. The cool air caressed her face, though failed to sooth her anger.

"That prick Kentaro has gone missing for weeks." Chisame grumbled to herself. "Probably off on another vacation, using daddy's money again…"

On the other hand, Chisame was quite relieved not having to see Daichi's son around. Chances are Kentaro would have made a few smartass comments about her departure, and chances are Chisame would have broken him in seven places, starting from the neck.

Chisame looked up at Star Rock's logo. Shiny, golden words were placed on the very top of the tall building. Though she had only worked there for two years, those two years felt like forever. She remembered the day she applied. After her interview, it took nearly three weeks before a letter was sent to her, saying she was successful for the job. After hearing the delightful news, Chisame thought she had her life made. A well paid job and a future to look forward to.

Only after working for a month did Chisame realise she was going through a daily nightmare. The receptionist was an android. It seemed like the young woman was programmed to say three lines; 'good morning', 'how was your day' and 'see you tomorrow'. The actual workplace was often overheated, thanks to the many computer consoles for each cubical, and the lack of air conditioning didn't help the situation either. The men Chisame worked with were sexist pigs, always treating her like she was the missing link. The working hours were dreadful, and Daichi would even demand Chisame to work on some weekends if need be. And of course, there was Kentaro, the self centred piece of shit who she couldn't stand. To make her job even less satisfying, Chisame wasn't even issued with her expected salary, being paid considerably less than what it was supposed to be. After that first month, she had complained about her wages, but even after so much time, her salary remained the same. It was after that first month her life started to deteriorate, fragment by fragment… until she reached the point where she finally had to let go.

Now she was free. Free from the stress, the anxiety and the humiliation.

…

As she walked and waited at the train station, Chisame wondered if her revenge was satisfactory. Sure, she did a number on her ex-boss, but now she desperately wanted to acquire a crowbar and unleash hell on everyone who bothered her at work… which, to sum it up, was pretty much everyone.

Chisame sighed and noticed the cool air turning into a cold crisp one. The train announcement alerted her senses, informing everyone within earshot that, due to a technicality, all trains for this station have been cancelled for the remainder of the day. Chisame groaned and decided to phone for a taxi instead. After one phone call, Chisame waited and waited… tapping her foot as she did so. At last the taxi arrived, one hour later than expected. There was not a grunt of apology from the driver as Chisame opened the cab door.

…

**-0-0-**

…

The heating system filled all of Hinata-Sou with a relaxing warm air, so it seemed somewhat ironic when Makie, sitting on the living room couch, was shaking like a leaf. After the Toudai festival, three weeks have passed by, and for Makie, it was the longest three weeks of her life. Today she had recently finished her final entrance exam, which happened to be mathematics, her least favourite subject. She had to wait until the end of August to find out whether or not she made it through. She would hate to fail, especially because her failure would be sure to disappoint Keitaro. After all, it was Senpai who helped her study, every weekday and every weekend. Any free time Keitaro had, he devoted to her.

She jumped as she felt a hand gently press against her shoulder. She tilted her head up and looked at Mana's smiling face.

"Stop worrying, you'll do fine." Mana said reassuringly.

"Yes, I'm sure you'll pass."

Now Mana jumped as Yue literally popped up from behind the couch. How Yue could appear from nowhere was still a mystery to them. Yue paced around the living room as she proceeded to speak her mind.

"They say lots of great things happen if you manage to get into Toudai. They say you'll make lots of friends and create happy memories, and your chances of getting married will increase to one hundred percent."

Makie began to smile, soaking in all of Yue's positive information. "Really? That's great!"

"On the other hand." Yue interrupted, lifting a finger up in the air. "Should you fail, they say you will live the rest of your life single and decrepit, and no one will ever fall in love with you, and all of your hopes and dreams will be crushed, crushed like a giant hand crushing a can of coke. You will be dissolved into nothingness, thus making your life an eternal void… …but hey I'm sure you'll pass."

As Yue walked away to her room, Mana looked at Makie one more time. Now Makie was on the floor in a heap, white as a ghost.

Mana sighed and made her way to the kitchen. "I'll get the dinner ready." She decided to say.

After ten minutes, the manager opened the main door and walked into the dormitory, wiping sweat from his forehead after another hard working day.

"Good evening Keitaro!" Mana called out.

"Good evening Tatsumiya-san!" Keitaro replied.

"I'm making a prawn salad, and it should be ready in about twenty minutes!"

"Sounds great! You're making me hungry already!"

After some walking, Keitaro stopped and looked at the nervous wreck, centre of the living room.

"Um… Makie-chan? Are you alright?"

**-0-0-**

As the sky turned dark, the weather remained a cosy warmth. The hot springs were still, save for the occasional light breeze rippling the water. Even in darkness, Hinata-Sou was the majestic dormitory the residents knew and loved. Every window shone with a yellowy brightness…

**-0-0-**

"Do we have to wait for grumpy grouch?" Pouted Makie. The more she looked at her food, the more she wanted to eat it.

The manager and residents sat around the table, all of them waiting for a certain redhead to show up.

"She shouldn't be much longer." Keitaro said to Makie. _"Though she's never usually this late."_

"Perhaps Chisame is working overtime?" Mana spoke her mind.

"Yeah… you're probably right." Keitaro replied. "Okay, let's start eating."

"Yahoo! Itadakimasu!" Makie declared, shovelling down the food with her chopsticks. Yue quickly followed suit, and soon afterwards so did Mana. Keitaro sighed before slowly lifting a rogue prawn from a nest of lettuce.

The girls and Keitaro nearly finished their dinner when they heard the sound of the main door, opening and closing in a careful manner. This action caused Keitaro to tense up. Already he sensed something was wrong. Every weekday, Chisame would nearly destroy the main door, blasting a verbal outburst of how badly her day sucked. It was her small way of unwinding before calming herself down. Tonight, Keitaro found her silence… a little unsettling.

"Well look who decided to show up!" Said Makie, as she finished off her last piece of tomato.

Keitaro looked up at her. They all did. Keitaro braved to say something. "Hey Hasegawa-san, how was your day?"

He regretted the moment those words came out of his mouth. Chisame looked at the empty chair, followed by the food presented for her arrival. Lettuce, tomato and cucumber surrounded the plate in an elegant pattern. Inside the circle of salad were many pink, succulent prawns, some small, others big, all waiting to be eaten.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have an early night." Chisame decided to say, leaving the food on the table and walking away to her room.

Mana rose from her seat and collected the empty plates. "I'll leave your dinner in the fridge if you want it later." She said.

"Thanks Mana." Chisame replied as she continued her path towards a much wanted solitude.

**-0-0-**

The door closed behind her. The jacket was promptly removed and flung onto the bed. The shoes were kicked off from her feet, landing with a soft thud near the wall. With those cumbersome objects out of the way, Chisame collapsed into her swivel chair and instantly switched her laptop on. Chisame had plenty of days when she was absolutely livid, but never a time did she suffer in silence. It was a rare feeling for her. She didn't feel like squeezing a stress ball, or squeezing Mosquito's neck.

Chisame plugged her earphones in her laptop and began to listen to a vast selection of her favourite music, all downloaded from CD to hard drive. She stood still as she listened intently to the first track, then the second, then the third. By the time she listened to track four, a hypnotic mesh of music engulfed her mind. Right now, reality could pack its bags and leave for all she cared.

She logged into her website and smiled at all her messages. Thanks to her tour of Toudai, she had received even more messages than ever before, further reinforcing her number one spot as the Internet idol. Even Kenichi (who was dumb enough to post his real name on the net) gave her a quick reply, as well as Tenma (see previous brackets) and a few other people, some more well known than others. Some fans wanted to know if Chiu was going to make another live performance. When she read those kind of messages, Chisame lowered the volume coming out of her headphones. Now the only music in her ears were her thoughts. People liked her, not only because she was young and attractive, but because she was a genuinely kind and lovable girl. Without properly realising it, Chisame had achieved a new wave of popularity.

Her life was a coin, a different picture on each side. One picture showed misery, torment and anger. One picture showed happiness, colour and joy.

Chisame browsed on her website for over half an hour, but was still nowhere near reading all of her messages that were sent today. The glowing screen did not help her tired eyes, especially since all other lighting was switched off. Sleep got the better of her. She closed the laptop, undressed herself, and ploughed into bed, silently thanking Keitaro for not interrupting her.

**-0-0-**

Though already late at night, Keitaro, bare foot and in his pyjamas, walked over to Chisame's door. He was about to knock on it, but something inside him stopped him from doing so. He decided in the end it would be best to resolve this problem some other time. A time where, hopefully, Chisame would have made an increased recovery.

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

"Alright, alright I'm up." Chisame groaned, hearing the inferno noise of her alarm clock.

Pushing the off button, Chisame rolled out of bed and slammed face first onto the cold floor, an action which, in honesty, proved far more effective than any alarm clock. Now fully focused she removed her red pyjamas and replaced them with her usual working uniform; shirt, slacks, shoes, jacket and of course her glasses being the universal requirement. She also remembered a few other belongings she needed, money for transport and food being the most essential. In a record breaking three and a half minutes, Chisame was all set and raring to go… well maybe not so much raring to go, but she was still ready. She opened her door.

There were two reasons why Chisame froze at this point. One… Saturday. Unless requested, Chisame never worked on a Saturday. Two… she quit her job, and the truth didn't properly sink in… until now.

Feeling a chill in her stomach, Chisame carefully closed her door again, sitting down on her swivel chair when she did so.

"Oh yeah…" She whispered to herself. "…I don't have a job anymore…"

**-0-0-**

Keitaro was sleeping peacefully, until the sound of something quickly stirred him awake. He muttered a few incoherent words before rising from his bed, embarrassingly wiping some drool from his mouth. Perhaps he was dreaming about eating Mana's delicious prawn salad… or perhaps… he was dreaming about eating Mana.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry for possibly dreaming about Tatsumiya-san!" He said aloud.

He then shifted into sub consciousness. Mana Tatsumiya. Preparing dinner for him… wearing nothing except for an apron that read 'EAT THE COOK'.

"OH GOD! WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF STUFF?!" He clutched his head and shouted, snapping back to reality. "I know I was with Haitani and Shirai for the duration of the festival, but that shouldn't mean I've caught any of their perverted DNA!"

As he said those words aloud, Keitaro knew he lived in a placed called denial city. Since the festival, every night Keitaro has dreamt of perverted dreams, mostly involving the residents, sometimes involving other girls. One time he dreamt of Takane Goodman wearing a dominatrix outfit and wielding a whip enhanced with fire. There were others etched into his mind as well, but Keitaro quickly got himself ready before he could delve deeper into his perverse mind.

Fully clothed and ready, Keitaro walked into the hallway. He could hear those sounds again, louder than before. They were coming from the kitchen. He could hear spits of fire and plates and cutlery being assorted.

"Tatsumiya-san? Is that you?" He softly called out. No reply. Perhaps Mana was too busy to hear anything, or perhaps Keitaro wasn't loud enough. _"Hmm… I said I would prepare breakfast tomorrow…"_

"Morning Keitaro, is something wrong?"

Keitaro spun around to see Mana standing next to him.

"Tatsumiya-san! Morning!" Keitaro greeted, though still a little freaked out.

"You're preparing food early." She said. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Huh? No, I haven't started. To be honest I thought you were in the kitchen…"

A tired Makie and an even more tired Yue made the group into four. Unlike Mana and Keitaro, they were still in their bed wear.

"What's going on?" Asked Makie as she wiped away some sleep from her eyes. "What's with the noise?"

"Hmmm." Keitaro thought as he regarded all the possibilities. "Well, let's see. It's early in the morning, the four of us are in the hallway… and there's a sound coming from the kitchen…"

He thought long and hard… before slamming a fist in his hand.

"…yes, I know exactly what's going on…"

Everyone looked at him for the answer.

"…WE'VE GOT INTRUDERS IN OUR HOUSE!!"

Makie gasped. Mana's eyes widened. Yue blinked.

"Right! I'm going to take them out!" Keitaro decided. _"If I could nearly defeat Kenichi, then I should have no problem defeating… whoever it is that needs defeating!"_

Mana blocked Keitaro with her left arm. "Wait Keitaro!" She whispered sternly. "Have you properly thought this through?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Keitaro.

"They could have firearms."

"Firearms?! Oh God! No way! Murderers in my dormitory?!"

"Oh no! I don't wanna die!" Makie wailed.

"_Is this a dream?" _Thought Yue.

"Settle down! I'll handle this, you stay there and protect Makie-chan and Yue-chan."

"Okay!"

Mana stealthily ran into the dining room and the kitchen. She quickly unsheathed three silver daggers, each one resting in between her fingers. She was just about to launch the weapons at her intended target, but froze dramatically. It was unusual to see Chisame up this early on a weekend. It was extra unusual to see Chisame using a frying pan. Chisame was wearing an elegant blue and white maiden outfit, and her red hair was tied up with a scrunchie. Of course, she had to wear her glasses to avoid suspicion… even though Chisame preparing breakfast in a maiden outfit held enough suspicion already. Chisame turned around the moment Mana concealed her blades. She addressed her with a big smile.

"Morning Mana!" She greeted with a sing song voice. "Lovely day isn't it?"

Mana was lost for words. Keitaro and the others rushed to the scene of the crime, surprised they was no crime… but quite a scene.

"HOLY CRAP!" Keitaro pointed and shouted. "Glasses and maiden outfits… it's like something straight out of a Hentai movie! Ah, not that I watch or read any of that kind of stuff!"

"Woah Chisame-chan! What's with the getup?" Asked Makie.

"Well…" Chisame replied. "…I've lived here for about six months now _(six months too long) _and I thought I would treat everyone to breakfast this morning! Hope everyone likes fried fish and onigiri!"

Everyone noticed Yue suddenly awake and rummaging around open cupboards and drawers. "Has anyone seen Chisame anywhere?" She asked.

…

…

…and so moments later, the three ladies and Keitaro all sat around the table in the dining room, waiting for Chisame's ready made breakfast. Makie leaned over and quietly voiced her opinion.

"Pssst! I don't know about you guys, but I reckon she is up to something…"

"Maybe she's had a change of heart?" Mana theorised.

"She doesn't have a heart!" Makie argued. "Or a soul for that matter."

"I agree with Tatsumiya-san." Keitaro added. "Sometimes when you have a certain person figured out, they can do something completely out of the ordinary! There was this one time where I was seven, and I wanted this really cool action figure, but my parents got me a woolly jumper instead!"

Makie made a confused face. "Uh… no offence Senpai, but that's kind of a strange example."

"What action figure did you want?" Asked Yue, completely missing the point of this debate.

"Oh… it was a Sailor Moon one." Replied Keitaro.

"You wanted a girl action figure?"

"No! I wanted one of the bad guys. Can't remember his name though…"

"Heads up!" Alerted Makie. "She's here! She's here!"

Chisame gracefully and carefully strolled into the dining room, carrying two trays with two plates on each. A plate of equal portion was handed over to all of the waiting people; first Yue, then Mana, then Keitaro and lastly Makie.

"Aren't you having anything?" Asked Keitaro.

Chisame smiled as she replied. "Oh I'm fine I've already eaten!"

Everyone looked at their food with a wide eyed expression.

"Well bon appetite!" Chisame beamed, bowing before returning to the kitchen. Possibly to clean up the mess she made.

What should have been on each plate were two tasty onigiris, complemented with a hearty, sizzling portion of fried trout. What _was _on each plate was a hellish, deformed hill of rice, and a melting, liquid like glob of brownness.

"Okay everyone, this looks like Hasegawa-san's first attempt, so let's give her the benefit of the doubt!" Keitaro whispered to everyone.

Makie raised an eyebrow. "As apposed to the suffering of the trout?"

"Makie-chan! (ahem) Anyway I'm sure underneath it all is a delicious meal waiting to be tasted!"

"Or deported." Yue suggested.

Everyone continued to stare at their food.

"I think we better use a spoon." Keitaro decided, to which everyone agreed unanimously.

In unison, everyone scooped up a spoonful of what used to be fish. They closed their eyes… and swallowed down the contents. Faces turned green.

"_It has a… unique flavour." _Keitaro thought.

"_This taste is inhuman!" _Mana summarised.

"_Urk! Is she trying to poison us?!" _Was Makie's opinion.

"_Hmm… this doesn't taste half bad." _Yue nodded to herself.

Chisame returned after cleaning the kitchen. "So what do you guys think?"

Eyes darted around. Hopefully if they waited long enough, someone else will speak aloud.

"It's… REALLY NICE!" Keitaro shouted all of a sudden. He gripped his spoon and shovelled down his food at a rate of knots. The food slid into the stomach the same way a jagged rock coursed its way down a sewer pipe. After emptying the plate, Keitaro stopped breathing, but after thumping his stomach a couple of times, that sudden problem was solved… though the dire taste remained. Mana and Makie looked at him with amazement!

"Wow, guess you were pretty hungry!" Said a happy Chisame.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh!" Keitaro nodded rapidly, tears streaming down his face.

"Well I guess you'll be wanting seconds then!"

"Huh?!"

In one motion, Chisame whisked away the empty plate, and replaced it with a bigger plate… filled to the top with an even larger portion of the same disastrous food. Keitaro grinned nervously as drops of sweat ran through his face. If Keitaro was a soldier, he would have received every medal awarded for courage that ever existed. With a shaky hand, he began to tuck into his second helping…

**-0-0-**

The Hinata residents were very surprised to see Chisame behave in such a way. They thought the breakfast 'treat' ended there, but Chisame elected to clean the entire dormitory head to toe, apologising when she smashed a few valuables in the process. No doubt this amazed the manager the most, since he would spend at least four hours a Saturday cleaning up the place. This left Keitaro with little else to do. He did the shopping earlier this week, so there was no sense in buying more than what was needed.

Saturday morning was a fairly lazy affair. Makie would normally hang out with her friends on days like these, but today her friends had plans of their own. Yuna and her father were visiting their grandparents and Ako had five a side soccer practice. With studying off her mind, Makie relaxed a little by listening to music and reading a few magazines. Keitaro and Mana were outside, spending most of their time training and meditating. Since her defeat during the tournament, Mana forced herself to fight more seriously against her unpredictable student.

Yue slumped against the corner of her room. So far Yue has read ten out of her 346 Manga comic books, all of which were won inside the Comic Convention Cavern. As well as her usual clothes, in her wardrobe were a couple of cosplay outfits, including the witch outfit with the pointy black hat. So far, there hasn't been an occasion where she wore them. She tilted her head when the door opened. Yue was a tad surprised to see Chisame enter her room, armed to the teeth with a feather duster and other cleaning equipment.

"Hi Yue-chan!" She sung again. "I was just dropping by to see if you wanted your room cleaning up!"

Yue curiously looked at her before giving an answer. "No, I'm okay thanks."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Really sure?"

"Really sure."

"Well, okay! Let me know if you change your mind!"

Chisame took one step into the hallway.

"Wait."

Chisame stopped like a statue. _"Wow, she makes her mind up fast. _Yes, Yue-chan?"

Yue said nothing but pointed to the opposite corner. Chisame's eyes followed Yue's finger, only now noticing Yue's room consisted of twenty percent bed, seventy six percent books, and four percent Yue.

"I want all my books piled up nicely… in alphabetical order."

Chisame's face became a picture, but she quickly shook her head and smiled again. "No problem!"

…

The minute hand on the clock moved its steady, circular journey. The living room was so quiet one could hear the repeated ticking sound coming from the second hand. Nearly half an hour passed by.

Back in Yue's room, Chisame had accomplished her first real task, which was a feat for her considering she doesn't do anything housework related during a weekend. She wiped some sweat from her forehead before feeling satisfied with the finished outcome. All books have been moved, altered and arranged in alphabetical order.

"Where's the door?" Yue asked.

"The door?" Chisame repeated. _"What does she mean?"_

As Chisame turned around, she realised there was no door, because the door was completely concealed with 346 Manga comic books.

"Oh." She said, wilting like a dying flower.

**-0-0-**

Lunch time… and everyone stared at the food handed to them, courtesy of a Hasegawa production. Today's poison this time was a fried chip sandwich. When it came to food, delicacy and preparation did not belong in Chisame's vocabulary. Inside the sandwich were three different kinds of sauces; mayonnaise, brown sauce and ketchup… all merging together into a delightful pinkish beige. The bread was already soggy thanks to the chips, so just holding the monstrous thing together was difficult enough, much less trying to eat it. This time Chisame joined the group, since she was as hungry as everyone else. At the same time, everyone bit slowly and deeply into the most unhealthiest sandwich in the world. Chisame narrowed her eyes and waited for their reactions. The suspense was hell.

"TOO SALTY!" Keitaro, Makie and Mana all shouted. They left the table in a blur and tried to drink as much water from the kitchen tap as possible. Chisame's eyes were fixated on Yue, the sole survivor of the four.

"So… what do you think, Yue-chan?" Chisame slowly questioned.

Yue's answer was not immediate. Her eyes moved from angle to angle as she contemplated this unusual tasting sensation. After swallowing her mouthful, she looked at Chisame, and gave her a big thumbs up.

Some sweat dropped from the back of Chisame's head. _"I'm not sure whether Yue's approval satisfies or scares me."_

**-0-0-**

Some time later.

"…and I also need the latest trance'n'dance album… oh! Can you get me a coffee flavoured milkshake from that really cool restaurant? Maybe a bag of banana flavoured sweets! I really like those! And another thing…"

Chisame lowered her jaw as Mosquito trailed off with an everlasting ammunition of words. _"All I did was ask if she needed her room tidied up."_

Chisame took this unlikely opportunity to scout around Makie's room; a comfy bed, a large florescent green beanbag, some exercise equipment, a few CDs scattered around, a swivel chair identical to hers and a desk which on top was a small stand-up mirror, a pink mobile phone, a brush and a book with a pink cover, labelled 'Makie's Diary'. By contrast, Makie's room was the complete opposite of Chisame's. It was bright, colourful and everything one would expect from a typical girl her age. Chisame thought Makie's room was too cliché and childish.

"Um… Makie-chan, I'm only here to tidy your room, okay?"

"Pfft! What sort of housemaid are you?" Makie huffed.

"Yeah… _house_maid." Chisame replied, feeling the fire burn within. "Housemaid, by translation, means maiden of the house. A woman employed to do housework. Get it? Housemaid, however, does not translate into Makie's bitch!"

Makie looked at Chisame with big puppy like eyes. Tears were starting to swell up, and if Chisame wasn't going to act fast, she was going to be the first victim of a gigantic pink haired tsunami.

"Alright! Alright! But you gotta give me the cash up front!"

"Deal!" Makie said, who was faking the tears all along. "See you later, Housemaid-chan!"

Acquiring her jacket and a will to live, Chisame bid everyone goodbye before going outside.

"_Okay, there is no possible way my day could get any worse than this." _She thought, with extra pessimism.

…

**-0-0-**

…

…and it was not before long Chisame was walking in the city before venturing into a supermarket… well actually it was the third supermarket she visited. Chisame suspected Makie was leading her into a wild goose chase, because thus far she hasn't found a single bag of banana flavoured sweets. Bananas, yes, sweets, yes, but not banana flavoured sweets. She approached a member of staff and asked him if they had any around.

"Banana flavoured sweets? As in sweets that are…"

"Banana flavoured, yes." Chisame finished off his question. The staff member looked no older than eighteen, and his face was riddled with zits.

"…well… we have bananas… and sweets…"

Chisame smacked her forehead. _"Oh for the love of…"_

"HEY LOOK FUMIKA-CHAN! IT'S THAT WEIRDO WITH GLASSES!"

Confused and startled, Chisame turned her head around. Too late. Two pint sized girls ran manically towards poor Chisame and greeted the girl with a double flying kick to the face, which in turn caused Chisame to collide into the staff member, knocking them both out in the process. Thankfully the staff member's face didn't detonate.

"GOOD AFTERNOON WEIRDO WITH GLASSES!" The twins both chimed, staring down at a recovering Chisame with big wide smiles.

Chisame was in a kneeling position when she watched another Sasaki member run towards her; a gigantic pair of breasts attached to a very flamboyant woman. Miwa ran up to Chisame and gave her a big friendly bear hug. Guys were starting to stare.

"Hello Chisalami-chan! It's been a while since I've seen one of Makie-chan's good friends!" Miwa chirped.

Chisame couldn't reply because her face was crushed against two orbs of death. Miwa luckily released the hold, but then took advantage of Chisame's sense of decency… by squeezing her breasts like two plush toys. Guys were starting to take photographs.

"Wow Chisalami-chan! Your breasts have grown since I've last seen you! Mind you, you still have a long way to go to reach my size!" And Miwa indicated this by feeling her 'twins'… and the twins were feeling hers as well. In the space of ten seconds, all of the tissues and toilet rolls have been purchased from every man in the shop (for their bleeding noses, not… uh, never mind).

In a red haired blur, Chisame somehow managed to find the sweets and purchased them in an instant before getting the hell out of there.

**-0-0-**

After visiting the necessary stores, Chisame at last returned to Hinata-Sou, the place she knew and 'loved'. She stomped her way upstairs and dramatically pulled Makie's door open. Chisame didn't bother telling Makie that she visited her family. Just recollecting that memory made her feel… violated.

"So did you get the stuff?" Makie asked excitedly.

"Here." Chisame said, giving Makie the bag of goodies. "Hope your satisfied."

"Hmmm…"

Makie checked off the items one by one. Everything seemed to be correct, save for a single item in particular. She inspected the carton of coffee milkshake carefully.

"…oh, did I say coffee milkshake, I meant to say toffee milkshake!" Makie realised.

Chisame frowned.

"Well, come on housemaid-chan! Exchange the coffee milkshake for the toffee one please!"

"You mean go all the way back to the restaurant?" Chisame asked.

"Mmm-hmm!" Makie nodded.

Chisame made an eyesmile. Makie also made an eyesmile.

There was a combined sound of a crush and a splat as Chisame later left the room. Makie stood dumbstruck as a crushed carton lay on top of her head, with coffee milkshake dripping all over her hair and face.

"Maybe I went slightly overboard." She said to herself.

**-0-0-**

With her hands around her back, Chisame paced back and forth in her technological chamber. So far today, the only objective she achieved was total chaos.

"Well, so far, so shit." She said, voice heavy with frustration. "How does he do it? How does Keitaro do it? Every day he overexerts himself. He cooks, he cleans, he helps Mosquito study, he trains and meditates with Mana… and during this time he smiles, as if he enjoys doing the things he does."

Chisame stopped and stood rooted to the ground. She clenched a hopeful fist and looked at the ceiling.

"No! I can't give up just yet! Let's see… soon it'll be time for dinner, but what can I prepare for them? Damn it! I knew I should have studied my mother's cooking! Wait… I could order a surprise takeaway! Sure it'll burn a hole in my pocket, but it's either that or I'll burn everyone's meal!"

She collapsed on the bed, thoughts swirling in her head. Trouble is, she didn't know any take away joints in Tokyo… but then an anvil called 'stupid' landed on top of her.

"Of course! The Internet!" She said, and flung herself on the swivel chair.

Logging onto a well known search engine, Chisame keyed in the words 'Tokyo Take Away'. She watched the screen as a long list appeared, but the one that caught her eye was at the very top. She clicked on the link and was presented with a nicely designed webpage with all the necessary details. Jackpot.

Chisame soaked in the information, her glasses showing the screen's reflection. "Right, according to this I have the option of choosing Meal 'A', the family size feast… or Meal 'B', where you have to manually select what portions you want… I get it, it's A for no fuss and B for specific choice of food."

She clicked onto 'A' but got nothing for her results. She groaned a little inside, looking at the phone number below.

"Hmph! Some website!" She grumbled. "Can't even order your food online!"

She snatched her mobile phone from its container and rapidly dialled in the number. She waited a few seconds before someone picked up the receiving end.

"Hiya!" A lady greeted. Chisame couldn't place her voice, but she definitely did not sound Japanese. Perhaps she was European or American? "Do you wish for our special services?"

Chisame scrunched her face. "_'Hiya'? What sort of telephone greeting is that?!" _Nonetheless, she gave the speaker the address to Hinata-Sou, and afterwards asked for Meal A.

"Oooooh! You selected A? That's a popular one! Most guys go for that!" The lady answered.

"Um, that's nice." Replied Chisame.

"So who is the lucky man?"

"Uumm… pardon?"

"Who is the lucky man?"

"Oh… uh… well that would be Keitaro Urashima, the manager of Hinata-Sou."

"Oooooh! A manager? Kinky! Well, we will arrive in fifteen minutes time!"

"Okay, thanks, bye."

Chisame pressed the off button on her mobile.

"_Well that was weird. Lucky man? Kinky? Was she drunk?"_

**-0-0-**

It was a quiet spell for the time being. Mana and Keitaro returned to their rooms after training, and Makie returned to her room after washing out the milkshake in her hair. Yue was watching an anime show in the living room. Keitaro made sure his door was closed all the way. On his computer screen was his spiritual, childhood friend, Sayo.

"…maybe she's had a change of heart?" The ghost suggested.

Keitaro replied. "That's what Tatsumiya-san said, and I agreed with her… but now that I think about it, Hasegawa-san seems a little _too _eager. I mean she works full time on weekdays, and sometimes most hours on weekends as well. I mean if I were her, I would relish every bit of time off I had."

"Well… you work hard as well Kei-kun."

"But Hasegawa-san… she always gets stressed out after work. I admit I'm a hard worker, well… I'm a fairly hard worker, but my job is completely different from hers. I'm my own manager, but she works for other people."

As Sayo paused to think things through, Keitaro wondered if he was loading too much of his problems onto her.

"Last night, Hasegawa-san was awfully quiet." He added.

Sayo's response surprised him. "Perhaps something happened to her at work?"

"You… think so?"

"Maybe."

There was a loud knock on the main door. Keitaro briefly wondered who it could be. Makie's friends, perhaps? Maybe it was Haitani and Shirai?

"Gotta dash!" He said. "Thanks for your help Sayo-san!"

Sayo made an eyesmile. "No problem Kei-kun!" And with those words she faded away, reverting back to Keitaro's original desktop screen.

Preparing to welcome the additional company, Keitaro rushed to the hallway and into the living room. During that short distance, he heard a small group of female voices. Yue must have opened the door to greet them… though they didn't sound anything like Yuna or Ako. Something was up. As he set foot into the living room, his heart stopped.

"These women say they wanted to see you." Said Yue, unsurprised as always.

Keitaro swallowed a lump in his throat. Three woman, five foot ten in height, all stood in superior stances, like they were some kind of freedom fighting force. They all had their hands on their hips, and their long legs were nearly half a metre apart. One had green hair, one had blonde hair and the other had purple hair, all untied and flowing down to their backs. Each of them wore very tight and seductive nurse outfits, each with a skirt that was criminally short considering their height. On their feet were red high heel shoes. Their busts were around Miwa size… perhaps shockingly larger. If one of these women so much as breathed, their outfits would probably explode.

"Um… c-can I help you?" He asked.

The purple haired lady acquired a small piece of paper from her cleavage. "Is your name Guitar Urine Cheetah?"

Keitaro was taken back with her language. Probably American, he assumed.

"Close enough." Keitaro replied.

The trio formed into another stance and started to kick their long legs into the air. Keitaro pinched his nose. Underneath the skirts were not panties, but _thongs_.

They all cheered as one. "We're Tia, Maria and Nina… and together we are… THE NAUGHTY NURSE BRIGADE!"

Before Keitaro could react (i.e. run away), 'Tia' escorted him to the couch where he was pushed violently into the middle of it. 'Maria' placed a CD in the player, which at once, filled the room with a thumping dance track. Keitaro watched in fear as the three Americans danced all over him, swaying their long hair and performing a whole manner of sexual poses. One minute of dancing later, they did the unthinkable. They clutched their nurse outfits… and tore them open. In a flourish, skirts were flung across the room. Underwear was revealed.

"What the hell is going on?!" Chisame demanded as she ran to the hallway and to the living room. When she watched the display, her eyes popped out of her smashed glasses. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"They appear to be strippers." Yue stated, watching the show with a mild interest.

"I CAN SEE THAT, SHERLOCK!" Chisame blared out.

"They call themselves the 'Naughty Nurse Brigade.'"

"Wait a sec…" Chisame said to herself. "…I have a real bad feeling about this…"

As Keitaro continued to witness the titillating horror, Chisame flipped open a pocket sized laptop, as big as the palm of her hand. Using a stylus, she logged onto the search engine and keyed in Yue's said words.

"Naughty… Nurse… Brigade…" She said as she browsed through the website. She looked at the phone number and turned white. The number was exactly the same as the takeaway website… _except _for one number at the end.

"I dialled the wrong number." Chisame realised, completely exasperated.

Makie and Mana ran to the scene. Both were equally as horrified. "Th-these are… str-strippers?!? S…S… SENPAI HOW COULD YOU?!?!" Makie cried out.

"It wasn't Keitaro, it was me!" Chisame defended. Keitaro would have made a protest, but was too stunned to answer.

"CHISAME HOW COULD YOU?!?!"

Whilst Makie and Chisame engaged in a fierce argument, the manager's little Keitaro had grown to adulthood. If any more clothing were to be removed, all of his vital organs would implode here and there. Mana came to the rescue. Just as bra straps were about to be unhooked, Mana palm slammed all of the girls to oblivion. Three semi-naked corpses lied on the floor.

"WAAAAAAGH!!" Makie screamed. "THEY'RE DEAD! THEY'RE DEAD!"

"HOLY SHIT! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO KILL THEM!" Chisame barked.

"They're not dead." Mana replied. "I temporarily erased their memories."

"OH, IS THAT IT?! GREAT! NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT THEN! NEXT TIME YOU CAN TURN THEM INTO VEGETABLES!"

"I'm taking them to the hospital." Mana informed, ignoring Chisame's boiling rage. "You three make sure Keitaro is alright."

With strength and speed, Mana swiftly carried the Americans and rushed outside. Keitaro opened one eye, his hands shivering on top of his head. Both nostrils were bleeding, and it looked like his ears were starting to bleed as well.

"So what's for dinner?" Yue asked.

**-0-0-**

…

…

The rest of the evening fell quiet. In the hospital, Mana took some time explaining what had happened, but thankfully the Americans were quickly escorted (and covered up) so they can recover. When Mana arrived back, Keitaro elected to do the dinner, to which Makie breathed a sigh of relief, as if to rub it in Chisame's face. It was amazing how things quickly reverted to normality, but such was the way when one lived in Hinata-Sou. Just a temporary visit was enough to store memories for a lifetime… good, bad or frighteningly insane.

…

It was midnight, but Chisame remained awake. Her arms hung over the balcony as she stared at the crescent moon. It was the first time she stood still for a while, considering she was always too busy working or cosplaying. Observing the scenery was a refreshing experience.

"Hey." Came a familiar voice.

Keitaro could not sleep either. He was concerned about her wellbeing. During dinner, Chisame was silent, much like last night. Maybe it was best to leave her alone. No… he wanted to help her somehow, but how could he help? He felt his stomach turn in knots. Stealing his nerves, Keitaro walked over and rested by the balcony, next to her. Over six months they have lived under the same roof, but still the relationship between Keitaro and Chisame remained awkward. Keitaro could not remember many times where he had a proper conversation with her, especially when they were alone. So in all actuality, it wasn't even a relationship… more like, at the best of times, a mutual acknowledgement.

"I used to relax here when I was five." He said. He waited for an answer but didn't receive one. He got the impression he wasn't wanted. One guy too many. He considered turning back and walking away.

"Keitaro… …I quit my job." She said at last. Even though Keitaro had his suspicions, her words were needles piercing into him. He could only imagine how much she was suffering.

"I'm sorry." Was all Keitaro could say.

Chisame intended to smile, but it came out as a short, pain-stricken laugh. "Sad when you think about it, but that was my dream, to be a games tester. To enjoy playing games and get paid for it. Sounds more like fun then an actual job… …but it wasn't the job that made me quit, it was the people I worked with."

She stopped resting now, and turned to directly face Keitaro. She continued to speak, opening more of her heart.

"No one would listen to me! I was just mud to them! All my opinions would get tossed aside like bits of rubbish! That's why I quit! I quit because I couldn't stand those… those bastards!"

She lowered her head, feeling a little ashamed. Why would she think Keitaro would want to hear her problems? Keitaro's life was a cycle of challenges, two of the most important ones being to keep the tea shop out of business and making sure his residences were satisfied. Chisame felt pathetic. She couldn't even maintain a single job.

"Hasegawa-san… it's okay…"

"No it's not okay! I can't pay the monthly rent anymore! I should just leave now!" Chisame shouted, though her dry voice softened her normal loudness.

"I'm sorry about your job, but I'm not going to throw you out just because you have some financial difficulty." Keitaro replied softly.

Chisame swallowed a small lump in her throat. "Really?"

"Really… and stop worrying! Take as much time as you need! You'll find another job… and… I can help you… if you want."

They locked eyes, and Chisame had a muddled expression, unsure how to express her gratitude. With the exception of her family, no one has ever been this kind to her. "Well… if you say so…"

Keitaro nodded. "I am saying so."

"Okay… um… thanks, listen I better call it a night."

"…Me too."

"So… I guess… um, goodnight, um, Ma… uh Kei, uh yeah goodnight."

"Yeah…Chis… g-goodnight."

With mixed feelings, Keitaro and Chisame parted their separate ways. Only when she walked into the hallway had Chisame acknowledged the cold, shivering as she did so. She approached her door, but didn't open it. She heard his door open and close. Already Keitaro was preparing himself for sleep.

"_Yeah… I can really see why Makie and Mana like him so much. I hope he chooses one of them… then hopefully he can forget about me."_

'Her name is Chisame'. Still she remembered those bold words. She was Chiu and he was Keitaro. Keitaro confessed. Chisame shook her head, praying Keitaro was just confused that day.

"_He wouldn't want me… … I would make a terrible girlfriend."_

She entered her room and closed the door. Solitude once again. She looked at her bed, but something told her not to go to sleep, at least not yet. By instinct, Chisame walked over to her wardrobe and swung it open with both hands. She feasted her eyes on a recently acquired lime green outfit. Her grin stretched from ear to ear.

Tonight… Nurse Chiu was going to make her first exclusive appearance…

…

…

_Author: Yep you guessed it, I got the idea from when Motoko became a housemaid… only this time it's Chisame instead of her. I felt tempted to rename the chapter to 'wrong number', because of… well yeah that. See you in the next chapter… though before I go, you may be interested in the crappy omake I made…_

…

…

**OMAKE!**

Haitani and Shirai lived in their small but comfy apartment, both of them rubbing their hands with glee. The door knocked and the two knuckleheads ran manically, shoving each other in the process. Together they swung the door open.

"Hiya!" Ku Fei beamed. She was wearing an ornate Chinese outfit. "Here is your family feast!"

"AWESOME!" Shirai shouted at the bag she was carrying. "We get food as well!"

Haitani grinned like the most mischievous schoolboy who ever graced earth.

"Is there problem?" Ku Fei asked.

"No problem at all!" Haitani replied. "So… … when are you gonna strip naked?"

Ku Fei flushed red. Perhaps it was anger. Perhaps it was embarrassment. Most likely both. One colossus laser blast later and Haitani's head crushed through the ceiling and he flew into the sky. You could still hear him screaming in the distance.

Shirai looked at the massive hole. He then looked at a mightily pissed off Ku Fei. He scratched his head and dared to ask something.

"So… um… we still get to keep the food, right?"


	30. Return of the Librarian Threesome!

**Chapter Thirty - Return of the Librarian Threesome!**

…

Four sailor warriors stood atop the main campus of Toudai, all of them wearing special sailor suits with extremely short blue skirts, making it very inappropriate should this be a kids television show. It was midnight and the sky was pitch black, possibly due to it being midnight. Opposite the heroes stood Queen Peril, mistress of all things dark and nasty. She was tall and pale, and she wore a gothic black cloak, long red hair and glossy green lipstick. A fierce wind blew all of the sailor warrior's skirts, exposing their panties in all their glory. For some reason, everyone was wearing white panties. Perhaps they were cheaper to buy?

Sailor Blue was extremely timid but managed to point a righteous finger towards Queen Peril. "Queen Peril! Your dark and evil ways have come to an end! You must cease your evilness immediately… …p-please?" She said with honour.

"I'm r-really c-cold!" Said Sailor Sunshine. "W-why can't we w-wear anything warmer?"

Sailor Manga rolled her eyes as she spoke. "It's called 'fan service'! Deal with it!"

Sailor Yue looked bored with her hands in her pockets. "When is this lousy dream sequence gonna end?"

"You four girls will regret the night you crossed my path." Queen Peril spat, her voice sour and utterly drenched with evil. "Prepare to die!"

"Not so fast!" Ordered Sailor Sunshine. "Taste my wand of divine happiness! GO! SUPER HAPPY SUNNY RAY! TRANSFORM QUEEN PERIL INTO A NICE PERSON! OR A BUNNY!"

So saying she pulled out a dinky wand and with it unleashed a beam of brilliant sunlight. It struck the queen in the chest, but didn't do a thing in the way of damage. Or happiness. She didn't even turn into a rabbit.

"Omigosh! It did nothing!" Gasped Sailor Manga.

"Your pathetic 'magic of happiness' is wasted on me, young one." Said Peril. "Because… I contain the rare blood known as 'emo'. I have an emo heritage. My parents were emo, my grandparents were emo… even my great, great, great grandparents were emo! Now prepare to DIE!"

Queen Peril shot out a black electricity into Sailor Sunshine, reducing her into a smouldering pile of ash!

"Waaagh! Sailor Sunshine-chan!" Sailor Blue cried.

Sailor Yue shrugged. "Oh well, that's one less Christmas card to worry about."

"Time to avenge Sailor Sunshine! Behold my ultimate book of magic!" Sailor Manga shouted, withdrawing a writers pad and pen out of nowhere. With her tools in hand she began to scribble quickly on the pad. Once her drawing was complete, it was brought to life! The creation looked like a giant jiggly… uh I mean the creation looked like a spherical, pinkish white monster that bared absolutely no resemblance to any kind of anime ever. Especially pokémon. Unfortunately, the giant round thing bounced hopelessly over Queen Peril and plunged over the roof, falling to its death.

"Oh no! My Pigglyjuff!" Screamed Sailor Manga.

"Ha ha ha! Your powers are useless!" Laughed Queen Peril. She zapped Sailor Manga and she too turned to ash.

"Sailor Manga-chan!" Sailor Blue cried.

Sailor Yue prayed and felt a great relief. "There is a God." She whispered.

"Two down and two left. You pathetic sailors are so easy to kill." Said Peril.

Sailor Yue sighed and walked two paces. She was fed up and just wanted this dream sequence to be over with. "Guess it's up to me."

"Oh? And what can _you _do, Sailor Yue?" Spat Peril.

"I tell you what I can do!" Replied Sailor Yue, shooting a finger towards her. "I… am going to insult you so bad you will collapse into a coma for the rest of your life!"

Queen Peril crossed her arms. "Pfft, I'd like to see you try!"

"Very well, you shall regret saying that. Ah… Sailor Blue…cover your ears."

As Sailor Blue did as she was instructed, Sailor Yue took a dramatic deep breath…

"Your brother is a gothic reject and you constantly have sex with him because all other men deem you inferior! And you get depressed very easily!"

Peril looked at Yue. Yue looked at Peril.

"I don't have a brother." Peril stated. "Plus I'm gay so I don't give a damn about men… oh and hello? Emo?"

Sailor Yue slumped in defeat. "Well, that's me out of options."

Once again, black lightning was hurled into the third Sailor, and she too crumbled into ash.

Sailor Blue fell to her knees and sobbed. "Everyone… everyone is gone. I'm… all alone…"

"Worry not pretty one, soon you will join your friends." Peril said sinisterly.

"_**NOT SO FAST!! Your evil days are over!"**_

Descending from the night sky was a handsome man dressed in a black tuxedo and top hat. He was carrying a magic staff of some sort. The top half of his face was concealed with a black mask, though it was pretty obvious by now who it was.

"Tuxedo Keitaro-sama!" Sailor Blue gasped. See? She even _said_ his name. How obvious is that?

Queen Peril snarled, staring into the eyes of an old nemesis. "Tuxedo Keitaro." She spat. "As usual you have arrived two minutes before the end of the episode, but enough chit chat. Time to die!"

Peril unleashed lightning straight towards Keitaro, but Keitaro thrust forward his massive, hard staff, causing a white magical essence to escape from it. White met black, two colours struggling to reach the other side. A massive explosion was met in the middle. Both of them were now depleted of magical energy.

Queen Peril grinned with amusement. "It appears we cannot settle our matters merely with magic."

Keitaro agreed, noticing his magic staff had wilted out of deflation. "Then let us settle this with strength!"

Peril snarled with glee. "Sounds good to me!"

Nodoka stood scared as she watched Keitaro and Peril attack each other with a variety of kung fu moves and other manoeuvres that were so fast, the animators didn't have enough time to properly record them, so they just used still images instead. After a short while, both were breathing heavily, proof they have undergone an amazing battle. Keitaro found an opening, and proceeded to seize it. His aim was to palm thrust her stomach, but instead he accidentally clutched her black robe and ripped it off completely. Nodoka covered her mouth in surprise. Keitaro covered his nose. Peril was fuming. For a villainess, she had quite the busty figure. Her pale body was scantly covered in black gothic underwear.

"WAAAGH! I'M SO SORRY!" Keitaro pleaded.

"PERVERTED PIG!" Screamed Peril. "SUPER VILLIANOUS PERIL PUNCH!"

Before Keitaro could protest further, Peril rocket punched the tuxedo wearer into the sky and into the moon, leaving with him a prolonged twinkle in the darkness.

Peril grew red in the face as she covered her near exposing shame with both arms. "Okay, for an emo, I'm pretty pissed off right now!"

Nodoka stood shaking like a leaf. With her friends vanquished and her beloved Keitaro hurled someplace very far, she was left alone to face the evil.

"Right, now where were we?" Peril slowly asked herself. "Oh yes, that's right. The demise of the fourth and final sailor warrior."

However, just as Peril was about to unleash her trademark black lightning bolt, a shimmering flash of light appeared to the right of Sailor Blue. It was Sailor Yue again! Only this time, she looked a bit… different.

"Sailor Yue-chan!" Sailor Blue cried out. "You're alive! But how? And why are you wearing silver sunglasses?"

"I am Sailor Yue from the future." Sailor Yue said, like it was the most normal thing to say in the world. "And I am wearing silver sunglasses because I'm from the future."

"But wait." Asked Sailor Blue. "If Sailor Yue from the present is dead, doesn't that mean all possible Sailor Yues from the future will be killed as well?"

"…"

"…"

"…no." Future Sailor Yue answered, and left it as that.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Shouted Peril. "Time for you to die! Again!"

Before Peril could eliminate the two targets, Future Sailor Yue withdraw a futurist plasma cannon from her pocket. The power emitting from the cannon was immense and it immediately caused Peril to disintegrate into a pile of sludge!

Future Sailor Yue posed with a victory sign. "Technology rules." She stated.

"We did it… but at the price of my friends." Nodoka said sadly.

Suddenly, Future Sailor Yue disappeared from sight, just as Tuxedo Keitaro descended from the sky. The reason as of how he returned so quickly was best left as a mystery, as of Future Sailor Yue's sudden appearance and disappearance.

"Worry not Sailor Blue-chan…" Tuxedo Keitaro said calmly. "For we can restore your friends to life. However… to do that… we must do something drastic."

"What is it? I'll do anything!" Pleaded Sailor Blue.

"We must join our hands… and commit ritualistic suicide." Said Keitaro. "Then, once we die, we shall all reincarnate in the exact same time and dimension, so the anime can last another 150 episodes!"

"Before we do that…" Sailor Blue whispered, her face began to blush. "…I have a confession to make…I… I love you! I love you Tuxedo Keitaro-sama!"

Keitaro whispered back. "Sailor Blue-chan… I love you too…"

"Tuxedo Keitaro-sama…"

"Sailor Blue-chan…"

There was a dramatic slow motion sequence as their faces leaned forward, their lips a mere centimetre apart. Just as their mouths began to touch… a mobile phone bleeped loudly.

…

…

**-0-0-**

Nodoka Miyazaki awoke from her bed and brushed the navy hair out of her eyes before rubbing them gently. As her haziness cleared away, she thankfully found herself in her own room. On the shelf to her left was filled with an assortment of colourful books, most of them a selection of romance and fantasy novels. On top of one of these novels was her aqua coloured mobile phone, bleeping and vibrating loud enough to alert the shy girl. Fortunately the shelves were close by, so Nodoka just had to sit up to reach the phone without having to get out of bed. The word 'Paru-sama' blinked on the top of her screen. She pressed call and held the phone against her ear.

"Sailor Manga! Ah, I mean Paru-chan! Good morning!" Nodoka greeted.

"Hello Nodoka-chan!" Haruna beamed, seemingly oblivious to the fact she was addressed as an imaginary sailor warrior. "Listen are you busy tonight…?"

…and it wasn't long before Nodoka moved the phone slightly _away _from her ear. As a friend, she loved Haruna, but would it kill her once in a while to lessen her voice just a touch? As for Nodoka being busy tonight, as a shy sixteen year old, Nodoka wasn't exactly the kind of person to go partying every night. She would rather snuggle up with a book or two than attempt to 'rave' with the opposite sex. Therefore, she concluded Haruna only asked that question, because there was only one available answer.

"Not really." Nodoka replied.

On the other end, Nodoka could hear her friend grinning, which made her skin tingle. Nodoka spent most of her time listening to the Manga enthusiast, knowing full well the girl can talk for Japan. As Haruna spoke, Nodoka showed a mild concern on her face.

"Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"Sure it's a good idea!" Haruna butted in. "I found the website and everything! Plus I managed to print out the map!"

"But…"

"Oh come on! This could be your big chance! I've seen you make those eyes at him!"

"But that was ages ago! He's probably forgotten me by now!"

"Or… maybe he's thinking about you every waking minute!"

"…"

"Konoka-chan is tagging along as well! See you at seven!"

"Huh?! Wait!"

Haruna hung up before Nodoka could say anything. The girl was evil, likable but evil. She didn't have ESP, but had a strong sense of woman's intuition. Heck, if Haruna did have ESP she would be the most dangerous girl on the planet.

Nodoka retraced her memory. It was almost a month ago since the festival, and that was where Nodoka met him, the man who had unknowingly stole her heart. Nodoka looked inside the exterior and found a charming personality underneath. It was this personality she fell in love with. Just thinking about him gave the girl goose bumps.

Dressing into some casual clothes, Nodoka walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where her mother was pouring herself a cup of coffee. Her mother was a charming young lady with beautiful, long silky blue hair. One day Nodoka wished she could look like her. She idolised her mother, for she lead a somewhat strenuous life. Shortly after giving birth, her husband had packed up all of his belongings before abruptly leaving her. There wasn't even a trace of him, and during the times where Nodoka would ask of his whereabouts, her mother would avoid the subject altogether. It was this unfortunate occurrence that led Nodoka to believe that all men were, not so much inferior, but untrustworthy. She carried this belief with her for some time.

Nodoka greeted her mother in her usual polite manner. During their exchange of words, Nodoka popped in two slices of bread in the toaster, thinking about what Haruna had said to her.

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

Yue nodded to herself in satisfaction. It was a Friday night and she had just finished her fifth title of Manga collections, which so far totalled to fifty completed books. Though occasionally she would watch the odd anime of television (sometimes the shows were odd in a literal sense), to her, books devoured the anime competition. The moment she picked up and opened a book was where her imagination took her to various places… and Yue being Yue, had quite the imagination.

Since it was nearing the middle of the summer holidays, the Toudai library was closed, so during the months of July and August, Yue's time was her own. However, Yue had a nagging thought. Once the new term began, she would be accompanied with those three; the airhead, the nervous wreck and vortex mouth. Yue shivered. Losing her concentration, Yue dropped her book and with it her bookmark. To her annoyance, the book fell in a closed position, and the bookmark slid under her bed. A bad omen was arising…

A loud knock on the main door caused Yue to widen her eyes.

"I'll get it!" Came Keitaro's voice, faintly heard from Yue's closed door.

Shrugging to herself, Yue put the book on her bed and decided to see what the commotion was all about. Makie's or Keitaro's friends were on the top of her list of thoughts. She cautiously opened her door, walked into the dining room and looked from the corner of her eye.

She turned pale as she heard three familiar voices. She watched Konoka twirl in the centre of the room, talking about how vast and beautiful the place was. She looked at Haruna, who spotted Yue and gave her a big friendly wave. She watched Nodoka stand around looking worried, then again, Yue recalled Nodoka being worried virtually all of the time. All of them were wearing casual and attractive clothing. Yue imagined holding three voodoo dolls in one hand and a box of matches in the other.

"Good afternoon Yue-chan!" Greeted Konoka. "Wow! You live in such an amazing place!"

"It would be more amazing without you lot." Grumbled Yue.

Keitaro tapped a finger on his lips as he tried to remember the three girls. Where did he know them from before…? Then it struck him. "Oh yeah! I know you three! From the festival right?"

"That's right!" Haruna grinned. "We're here to stay for the night, if that's okay with you!"

Yue opened her mouth but no voice came out, only the silence of disbelief.

Keitaro tried to work this through in his head. "Well… yeah it's fine by me, but it will take a while to prepare the rooms for you, since this visit is kind of… y'know… unexpected. _Usually people are supposed to phone or email me for reservations…"_

"No problem! We brought sleeping bags with us, so we can just bunk here!" Haruna added. "Oh by the way, you don't have any pets do you? Because ah, I have an allergy to cats and dogs…"

"_Cool, maybe I should buy a sabre tooth tiger." _Thought Yue. _"And a werewolf."_

"Oh, no." Answered Keitaro. "We don't normally allow pets. Is this really okay for you guys? I mean the living room isn't very comfortable for sleeping in."

"Sure it is!" Chimed Konoka. "It will be like one special… night adventure or something!"

Yue made a face. The more she heard those girls, the more she wanted to drill holes in their skulls and shove a stick of dynamite in each one.

"By the way…" Haruna interrupted. "You remember Nodoka-chan, don't you?"

Nodoka turned into statue mode.

"Ah, yeah!" Keitaro replied with a smile. He turned towards Nodoka, which made her feel a little uncomfortable. "Uh, hi Nodoka-san!"

"H-hi!" Nodoka greeted. She gazed to one side and turned cherry faced.

By this time the residents had joined with Keitaro and the new acquaintances. Unsurprisingly, Chisame, Mana and Makie were all a tad surprised to receive unexpected guests at this hour. Keitaro spun around and noticed all the girls in the same room at once. "Well, I'll leave you… uh, seven to get acquainted. I'll prepare some snacks!"

"Ooh! Snacks! How delightful!" Chirped Konoka. "I feel like an honoured guest!"

The four residents greeted the newest acquaintances in their own individual way, with the exception of Yue who only greeted her hand with her forehead. Makie didn't seem to mind their company in the least, probably because of the experience they shared with at the festival. They seemed pleasant enough from her point of view. Haruna had a familiar outgoing personality, like Yuna… though Yuna was perhaps a touch less on the eccentric side. Nodoka… she reminded her of Ako before they became friends… and Konoka always had that pleasant, infectious smile that Makie couldn't resist looking at. Yes, maybe Makie could grow to like these girls. Mana however, had more of a sceptical expression, particularly with the one wearing glasses. She could never forget the way Haruna handled her during their first visit. The other two seemed alright, though perhaps Konoka was a little too bubbly for her liking. Chisame made a deep frown. As Chiu, she hadn't spent so much time with them, unlike the other residents. If any of them were like Mosquito (i.e. annoying and obnoxious) then she was going to have a hard time putting up with three extra pains in the butt.

Yue slowly smeared her hand all the way from her forehead to her chin. She remained quiet but her breathing pattern was more faster and louder, as if there was a ticking explosive inside.

Haruna's head swayed left and right, her glasses gleaming white. _"__**Initiating Paru Vision**__! Makie-chan seems happy enough, teenager like us, though probably interested in more… teenager girl orientated inventory… …Mana-chan… …probably still pissed that I groped her breasts, keeps very much to herself and fights with dove like powers… …Unknown-chan… …seems very neutral, no signs of hostility or friendship, looks like she is into computers. __**Deactivating Paru Vision**__! Hmm… it looks like a gentle push is needed to win them over!"_

"_Why did her glasses suddenly turn white?" _Thought Makie.

"Okay, who wants to chill out and watch some telly?!" Cheered Haruna. She withdraw three different DVDs from her handbag and gave one each to Makie, Chisame and Mana.

Yue, who was standing well away from everyone else, crossed her arms and shifted her legs together. _"Hmph. She's attempting to manipulate them. As if that'll work."_

"OMIGOSH!" Makie wailed, over the top with joy. "'Love Actually'? I wanted this for my birthday, but my mother couldn't get it because it was sold out!"

"'Hitman'?" Replied Mana. "Guess we could give it a shot."

"Sorry, but I've seen this…" Chisame answered after receiving a DVD titled 'Animatrix'.

Haruna wilted a little. "Oh."

"…but… it has been a while since I saw it last… so I guess it's okay to watch again."

Haruna perked up after hearing this. "Rock on! What shall we watch first girls?!"

"Love Actually! Love Actually!" Makie repeated.

"Oh Yue-Yue-chan!" Haruna said childishly, noting Yue's lack of participation. "I've got a DVD for you as well!"

"Not interested." Said Yue, now walking away to her room.

"Are you suuuure? What's your favourite book?"

"Well it's Lord of the Rings… but I don't see what that has to do with-"

Yue opened her eyes and mouth. Like a hypnotist with a pocket watch, Haruna swung a box covered in shining platinum. "Lord of the Rings… Trilogy Box set… Extended Editions… plus, it has an alternative deleted scene where Frodo Baggins gets turned into a squirrel!"

Yue looked like she was going to have a triple bypass. Quickly she shut her eyes tight and ran to her room. However, she smacked her head on the door instead of opening it first.

"No! You cannot control me like that! I will not be waylaid with your bribery!" Shouted Yue, rubbing her sore head. "I'm going to my room!"

"Well okay! Let me know if you change your mind!"

The residents looked at each other as they all tried to figure out why Yue was acting in such a way. It was a strange situation considering Yue never acts in any way.

"I-I don't think she likes us." Nodoka whispered the obvious. Konoka nodded, feeling a little glum.

"Ah she's just a little cranky!" Haruna said, popping in one of the DVDs. "I'm sure she'll be alright!"

They all somehow managed to squeeze themselves onto the couch. As Haruna popped in the first DVD in the player, she playfully bounced backwards into the middle. It was amazing how one couch could hold so many people. Sitting on the far right were Makie and Chisame.

"Hey." Makie said softly. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Chisame.

"Well… you're socialising. You rarely ever socialise."

"Well sorrreeey…" The redhead muttered.

Makie smiled at her. "No, I mean… it's kind of nice to see you with others."

Chisame didn't know how to react to that reply, so she elected to respond with a simple 'meh'.

"_What's Mosquito on about? I'm only here because I want to see Animatrix, though I have to endure some romantic comedy mush beforehand. Besides… I did Chiu myself to death in the morning…"_

Chisame looked up and noticed Keitaro with a large tray of goodies, which everyone were all delighted to see.

"…_I guess it's a change of pace." _Chisame thought.

**-0-0-**

After closing the door behind her, Yue remained in her favourite reading position, though now she was seething, evidently shown with her clenched teeth. A few minutes later and her door creaked open again, much to Yue's annoyance. She didn't want any part of this. She didn't want any part of them. Yue thought she would need a hammer and nail to pierce that information into their puny brains.

"Go away you four-eyed freak!" Yue shouted.

"Sorry!" Keitaro apologised, still carrying the tray. "I just wondered if you wanted anything to eat!"

Yue's eyes shot widely open. "K-Keitaro-san! I thought you were… ah! No, I'm okay thanks!"

"Are you feeling alright?" Keitaro asked.

Yue nodded. "Yeah… yeah I'm good."

"Well… okay. See you soon."

The moment Keitaro closed her door was the moment Yue rushed over and locked it. She pressed her back against the door and sighed. What were their intentions for coming here? Surely it wasn't just to visit her? Yue didn't like them, couldn't they see that? She could still hear the television and the odd laughter coming from Haruna, Makie, Konoka and occasionally Keitaro and Nodoka as well. With a deep breath, Yue decided to get changed for an early night, trying to ignore the joyous living room ambience.

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

The alarm clock signalled its usual sound, the time 5:45am. Chisame rubbed her lazy eyes, switched off the clock and got out of bed. She got dressed into one of her regular casual wears; blue jeans, maroon shirt and white socks, though this time she wore a white apron on top. As she finished tying the back of her straps, Chisame opened and closed the door, and eventually made her way to the kitchen. Still without a job, Chisame was determined to improve her household skills, cooking being the most important challenge to overcome.

"I've got to keep trying." She repeated to herself, feeling next to useless without a monthly salary. "That's the only way I can get better."

Chisame entered the kitchen and ceased her movement. She thought the sounds were from her imagination, but it wasn't. Three acquaintances were already ten steps ahead of her. They all spun round to greet the confused girl. Like Chisame, they were all wearing aprons as well.

"Heya!" Haruna greeted. "Chisame-chan, right?"

"Yeah." Chisame replied. She doesn't normally take kindly to being addressed as 'chan', but due to her tiredness she decided to let it slide. "Are you…?"

Konoka stopped humming to herself in order to reply. "Cooking up breakfast? We sure are!" She chirped.

"Well K-Konoka-chan is making the breakfast. We're just sort of assisting her." Nodoka added.

"Um… is there anything I can help out with?" Chisame asked. _"It's only nearly six now. What time did they get up?"_

Konoka made a darling eyesmile. "You wanna help? Sure thing!"

So far the four girls were in the beginning stages of preparing okonomiyaki, so meat and the ingredients to make pancakes with were essential. Konoka was carrying a selection of cooking apparatuses from the cupboard, Haruna turned on the hob, Chisame got the bowls ready and Nodoka was carrying a stack of fine china plates. It was probably not the best idea to give Nodoka the role of plate carrying, because nervousness and fine china do not mix well. As Nodoka walked in awkward steps, the plates swayed back and forth, causing one to topple over and shatter on the floor.

"Oh no! I broke one! Keitaro-senpai is going to get angry!" The shy blunette cried out.

Haruna shrugged before talking. "Relax! It's just one…"

A second crash followed.

"…two plates…" Haruna corrected. "I don't think Keitaro-senpai will get upset over that!"

Luckily Nodoka had managed to store the plates in a safe location, and Haruna sorted out the mess with a dustpan and brush. Unluckily, and without realising, Nodoka wiped some sweat away as she leaned backwards… by the stove… and Haruna had already lit the gas fire. The clothing on her back was instantly set alight, and Nodoka did what most teenage girls would do when their backs were instantly set alight… she screamed and ran randomly all over the living room with her arms flapping rapidly. Whilst ignited, the poor girl caused more chaos by setting the curtains and some of the couch on fire, which naturally caused a chain reaction of screaming from the other girls. Thankfully she had the incentive to roll on the ground afterwards, eventually extinguishing the flames. Chisame saved the day by grabbing a fire extinguisher, putting out the rest of the fire before things got worse.

This commotion was sure to stir awake the remaining residents. However, Makie was sleeping with her headphones on max volume, Keitaro was dreaming something perverted, Yue was just a heavy sleeper and Mana… she woke up… but her instincts told her simply not to interfere.

"WAAAGH!! I'M NOT FIT TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS HOUSE!!" Wailed Nodoka. She grabbed hold of the biggest kitchen knife she could find, and proceeded to drive the blade into her stomach! Thank the heavens Konoka and Haruna prevented her from doing so. Konoka grabbed her by the right arm and Haruna grabbed her by the left.

"Stop Nodoka-chan! It's not worth taking your life for!" Yelled Haruna.

Chisame's mouth was agape. Certainly the redhead made a few mistakes whilst being a housemaid, but she never attempted to take her own life for them. _"She's completely off her trolley!"_

After half a minute of reckless struggling, Nodoka finally surrendered to common sense. All four girls were now trying to continue where they left off. Konoka had some bowls ready, and now Chisame was opening the fridge door.

"Okay, since we're preparing breakfast for eight we're going to first need a lot of eggs!" Konoka instructed, happy as can be.

Chisame narrowed her eyes and knelt down as she looked for the first requirement for okonomiyaki. She found twelve fresh eggs, all placed on the lowest shelf of the fridge.

"We've got a dozen." Chisame replied. "Will that be enough?"

Konoka nodded. "Mm-hm! More than enough! Now we need some flour, self-raising preferably, but plain will do!"

"Self-raising right here!" Beamed Haruna, who successfully found a big bag of unused flour in the cupboard.

"Wonderful!" Chirped Konoka, clapping her hands with joy. She was delighted with the progress so far. "Now, okonomiyaki requires a meat filling. Chicken or beef are commonly used, but fish can make a good alternative. Oh… Nodoka-chan, can you turn the pan heater one quarter clockwise?"

"Okay!" Nodoka said, glad she was able to be of some use.

It was Chisame's turn again, this time to find anything classified as meat. "Hey, what about these?" She questioned. Chisame held out four vacuum sealed packs containing salmon.

"Wow! Perfect!" Konoka replied with a smile. "Now we need carrots! Fresh or frozen!"

The three girls searched thoroughly around the kitchen area, but without such luck.

"Nope." Said Haruna.

"Can't see any." Said Nodoka.

"No frozen carrots either." Added Chisame.

"Oh…" Replied Konoka, feeling a little disappointed. "Well, what about spinach?"

"Nah-uh."

"Sorry."

"No spinach either."

"No carrots… or spinach?" Said Konoka, who now was feeling a tad worried. "Well, what vegetables do we have?"

"Uh…" Chisame said. "…I don't think we have any vegetables…"

Konoka turned her head towards Chisame. Her eyes resembled two tiny white circles. "N…No v-vegetables?!" Gone was her original, happy expression. Now it was one of fear… the sort of fear that would make grown men pee in their pants.

We now take you to the living room, where now a long rope was hung above the ceiling. A noose was tied on the end of the rope. Konoka was balancing on a tall stool, and was one dramatic step away from hanging herself.

"NO VEGETABLES AT ALL?!? WHAT SORT OF SICK AND TWISTED PLACE IS THIS?!?" Konoka bawled out.

"Stop Konoka-chan!" It's not worth taking your life for!" Yelled Haruna. Nodoka fainted.

Chisame's mouth almost reached the floor. _"She's even more off her trolley!"_

**-0-0-**

The time was now just past eight o'clock, and everyone was sitting around the dining table. Suffice to say, okonomiyaki was off the menu. Instead, on the centre of the table was a large plate containing a selection of western and traditional edibles. On the western side were pieces of buttered fried bread, rashes of bacon and fried eggs. On the traditional side were pyramid shaped onigiris with a salmon filling. Everyone helped themselves to whatever they wanted. Conversations were shared between the girls and manager, though they were mostly between Keitaro and Nodoka, since the shy girl apologised every five minutes due to the two plates she smashed… as well as the attempted arson attack in the living room. The only person not speaking was, of course, the solemn blunette, who silently tucked into a single slice of bread.

"Mmm! This food is delicious!" Keitaro complimented with mouthfuls.

"Thanks!" Replied Haruna. "Though Konoka-chan did most of the cooking!"

"Really? Incredible!" Keitaro added, looking at Konoka. "I think you'll make an excellent housewife, Konoka-san!"

"Oh stop it Keitaro-senpai! You're too much!" Konoka gushed.

Chisame nodded to herself as she ate her breakfast. Even though she helped out in dribs and drabs, eating the finished masterpiece made the effort more rewarding. Everyone else (save Yue) appeared to enjoy their breakfast as well, smiling as they chewed and swallowed on their food.

…

…

**-0-0-**

**Mission One **

**Primary Objective: Force manager to eject the library trio from Hinata-Sou. **

**Secondary Objective: None.**

After breakfast, Keitaro was locked away in his room. On his desk were a pile of bills that needed sorting out, so he worked on this task with a chequebook and pen. Just then, the door opened and closed with much force. Keitaro looked up from his workplace and saw Yue marching into his room. With one hand she slammed a list on his desk.

"Keitaro-san, I have decided to establish three additional rules for this dormitory." She said. Keitaro noticed her voice was a touch louder than normal.

With a mild confusion, Keitaro picked up the list and read aloud the three extra rules written by Yue. "Well… okay, let's see… …one kick Haruna out, two kick Nodoka out and three kick Konoka out?!"

Yue nodded. "Tough, but fair. Now when can we get rid of them? I recommend sometime immediately."

"Yue-chan! They're just staying until this evening! Plus they haven't done anything wrong!"

"But… look… the rules…"

"They're just rules you made up!!"

Yue had to think of something fast.

"I'll buy you a puppy!" She said out of desperation.

"We're not supposed to keep pets!" Countered Keitaro. "Oh, and Haruna-san is allergic to dogs."

"I'll buy you a puppy!" Yue said again.

Keitaro closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "I'm sorry Yue-chan, but unless they do anything inappropriate, I'm not going to throw them out just because you said so!"

Yue's body drooped so much that she nearly had to drag her own hands.

"I see." She said, before slowly walking out of Keitaro's room. The door carefully closed behind her.

Keitaro sighed as he continued his work. _"I hope I wasn't too hard on her." _He thought.

As he was about to sign another cheque, his writing hand stopped moving. His reason for doing so? He heard a loud noise, as if somebody was pushing some very large heavy objects. With curiosity, Keitaro got up and walked over to open his door. To his surprise, shock and horror, his hallway had been completely blocked by solid wooden crates! The crates were completely filled from floor to ceiling, and there was a gap just wide enough for Yue to poke her face out.

"DON'T YOU THINK THIS IS A LITTLE EXTREME?!?" Shouted Keitaro.

"If you had abided by the rules, we wouldn't be in this mess." Remarked Yue.

From the other side, Yue felt a presence from behind. Thinking this was all just a game, Haruna charged with all her speed and flying kicked the 'impenetrable' wall of crates, making a shrieking 'BANZAI!' sound as she did so. All the crates toppled over, but unfortunately, Haruna also took out Keitaro and Yue in the process. The manager and blunette were completely knocked out, their eyes resembling rotating swirls.

Haruna put a finger on her lips. "Ah… haha… whoops."

**-0-0-**

**Mission Two**

**Primary Objective: Get Keitaro to see one of the library girls naked. They will think he's a pervert, thus causing all three of them to leave in disgust.**

**Secondary Objective: None**

For the past few days, the bolt which enables people to lock the bathroom door has been broken, and it's a job Keitaro hasn't got round to fixing yet. Haruna decided on a nice fresh shower, so she placed a large sticker on the door that read 'occupied' before entering the bathroom… not realising a certain blunette was watching her all this time. Yue had painted her body and clothes so they matched the colour of the floor, so when she lied on the ground she was totally invisible. She also knew by this moment, Keitaro would take a shower around this time. Taking action, Yue flipped to her feet like a ninja and, with a single motion, peeled off the sticker. She camouflaged herself from sight when Keitaro approached the bathroom door.

"This feels like a convenient time to have a shower." Keitaro said to himself. Yes, he actually said it in those words.

He stepped into the bathroom and froze when he noticed Haruna was about to walk into the shower unit. The only thing she wore was her glasses, and the towel which she now released from her body. Haruna then realised she had company. How did she react to this? She turned around and waved to him, not bothering to hide any of her delicacies.

"Oh, heya Keitaro-senpai!" Haruna called out. "Guess you forgot to read the sticker, huh?"

Keitaro saw the lot.

"WAAAGGH! SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY!!" He shouted.

He grabbed his nose with both hands before it could explode, and ran away to his room. Yue showed great anger as she rose to her feet once again and stomped into the bathroom. She then pointed to Haruna with righteous authority.

"Damn it woman! Have you no dignity?!" Yue said angrily, before walking away.

Haruna placed a finger on her lips, wondering why Yue was covered head to toe in beige paint.

**-0-0-**

**Mission Three**

**Primary Objective: Infiltrate the kitchen and spike Konoka's soup. They would be so repulsed that they'll have no choice but to leave.**

**Secondary Objective: Maybe cut off Haruna's stupid antennas with a pair of scissors.**

It was now nearly time for lunch, and Keitaro and Konoka were both preparing a nourishing and tasty pan of chicken soup. The rest of the girls were having a nice relaxation in the hot springs (except Yue). Even Chisame decided to shed her clothing and hop into the steaming waters, though she still distanced herself from the others.

"Hey Konoka-san! Why don't you enjoy yourself in the hot springs? I can take care of the soup!" Keitaro suggested.

"Well… okay!" Replied Konoka, jogging to the desired destination. "Be sure to leave it to that temperature for the next five minutes!"

"Okay!"

Suddenly the phone in the living room began to ring.

"Wonder who that could be?" Keitaro said to himself, running to the desired area to pick up the phone.

Whilst Keitaro was preoccupied, Yue emerged from the opened cupboard. She had a mobile phone in her hand, and of course, it was her who made the call in the first place. Yue placed a high stool near to where the pan of soup was. She balanced on the stool carefully and withdraw a carton of 'Vampire's Bloody Ketchup', now with extra laxatives. Unfortunately the stool was too fragile and broke one of its three legs, causing Yue to topple backwards with a crash. Her hand accidentally crushed the carton, causing it to burst all over the place, spreading the area with red sauce.

When Keitaro realised there was nobody on the receiving end, he walked back to the kitchen and nearly had kittens when he saw a motionless Yue.

"WAAAAGH!! YUE-CHAN IS COVERED IN BLOOD!" He screamed.

Nodoka was the first to receive Keitaro's loud message, though she wasn't exactly the perfect choice to deal with such consequences. Instead, she leapt into Keitaro and the two of them jumped up and down whilst crying. Thankfully all the other girls ran to the scene. With curiosity Chisame inspected the 'blood' by sniffing it, then tasting a dap from the tip of her finger. Immediately she ran to the bathroom.

Yue had slowly awoken, but was horrified to feel her stomach being pounded continuously with two fists arched together.

"CLEAR!" Haruna shouted. "Okay, does anyone have an electric cattle prod?!"

"WHAT?!? OF COURSE WE DON'T!!" Shouted Makie.

Realising the situation she was in, Yue scrambled for the empty carton and shoved it into Haruna's mouth. She ran back to headquarters (i.e. her room) before the situation could get any worse. However, for one Keitaro Urashima, the situation _did _get worse. With the exception of Chisame and Mana (i.e. the ones with more common sense), all the girls were so caught up in the commotion… that they forgot to put towels around their bodies… including Nodoka, who had wilted slightly, and was now holding Keitaro by the waist. Keitaro looked down at her and whimpered like a frightened rabbit. Nodoka trembled as she looked at Keitaro. Everyone devoid of a towel looked at each other and then they looked at Keitaro.

The house of Hinata-Sou shook as an accumulated scream was heard.

…

**-0-0-**

…

A red faced Yue bounced on the spot as she waited impatiently for the bathroom to become available. She clenched her fists, grinded her teeth and one time even heat butted the wall. Yue enjoyed the luxury of slurping her unusual tasting drinks, but they came at a price… the frequent toilet visits. After much waiting, Yue began to feel light headed and hazy. Thankfully Chisame didn't spend too long in there, but the second she took her attention elsewhere, Haruna, Konoka and Nodoka all rushed into the bathroom at the same time. Yue turned purple and her cheeks were puffed out.

"_Oh God! Don't make me wait much longer! I'm gonna explode!"_

Much time had passed by. Nodoka stared at the mirror with embarrassment, her clothes were a little different from before. Konoka was grooming her hair delicately with a hairbrush, and Haruna was observing the frail girl with narrow eyes whilst stroking her chin. It appeared they were planning something unexpected…

**-0-0-**

"Okay guys! I'm just going off to do some shopping!"

"Okay!" Chisame, Makie and Mana called back, though minus the exclamation mark in Chisame's case. All of them were sitting on the couch, but doing varied things. Chisame was fiddling around with a pocket size laptop, Makie was watching television and Mana was reading a book. So far, none of them noticed Haruna, Nodoka and Konoka stealthily walking into the room.

Keitaro hadn't left yet. He was still making sure he had enough money for the necessary purchases. It was at this point the three residents struck a thought which involved them and the manager.

"_I should offer to help him out. It's the least I can do to earn my keep." _Thought Chisame.

"_This is my chance! Just me and Senpai alone! It would be like a second date!" _Thought Makie.

"_Perhaps I will accompany him. We could discuss our training schedules." _Thought Mana.

Chisame, Makie and Mana all stood up at once. All of them drew breath at the same time.

"Eh, aaah CAN I COME WITH YOU?" Shouted Nodoka with her eyes closed.

Chisame, Makie and Mana all fell over in a bundle. Keitaro had a look of befuddlement on him, wondering why the shyest girl in the house wanted to tag along. The air was silent, as the three residents and Keitaro looked at Nodoka. Haruna and Konoka glanced their eyes towards each other, as if trying to conjure a mental plan between them.

"Uh… well…" Haruna began to say. "…you see… Nodoka…chaaaan… has…"

"Claustrophobia!" Konoka said out loud.

"Perfect! I mean, that's right!" Haruna said. "Isn't that correct, Nodoka-chan?"

Haruna gently elbowed the stuttering wreck.

"Huh? Ah yes of course! Ha ha! That's me! Must need fresh air!" Nodoka laughed nervously.

"Yes! Plenty of fresh air!" Added Haruna.

"In fact she needs so much fresh air, that she needs to go out with Keitaro-senpai!" Added Konoka.

"Yes! She needs to go outside! With Keitaro-senpai! For prolonged periods of time!" Added Haruna.

Chisame lowered her head and shook it side to side. _"So they're trying to get Nodoka to date Keitaro. Could they possibly get any more obvious? Only a halfwit would believe that crap."_

"_Oh no! I didn't know Nodoka-chan had claustrophobia! How terrible!" _Thought Makie. She then felt confused and began to panic. "Wait! What about… I mean… I want, ah I need to go out as well…"

"WHO WANTS TO WATCH LOVE ACTUALLY AGAIN!" Roared Haruna, closing her eyes and raising a fist as she shouted.

"ZOMIGOSH! MEMEMEME!" Makie squealed, her fists clenched into vibrating little balls.

"ALRIGHTY THEN! LET'S ROLL!" Haruna declared.

Haruna playfully (and by playfully we mean somewhat forcefully) shoved Chisame and Makie to the couch before getting the DVD ready. Chisame protested in her usual distressed way, but Haruna informed her they'll watch the rest of Animatrix, so that promise sedated her for a while. It was now Konoka's turn to ensure the succession of 'operation get Keitaro and Nodoka together'. Meanwhile, Keitaro was observing the situation with growing confusion.

"Mana Tatsumiya-chan! I will be well and truly honoured if you will allow me to meditate with you!" Konoka said with her trademark eyesmile.

Mana, unsurprisingly, was taken back by this. "Um… you would?"

Konoka nodded. "Mm-hm! I've always wanted to try it out! Especially right now!"

The taller girl shrugged. Truth be told, Mana felt like training anyway, now that Keitaro was preoccupied with the shy one. "Well… if that's okay with you… I guess you could join me. I have some preparations to take care of first however… meet me outside in 1307 hours."

"That will be wonderful!" Konoka beamed. "Uh… ummm…"

"One o'clock." Mana simplified.

"Oh right! One o'clock!"

Mana sighed through her nose.

Still in clueless mode, Keitaro scratched the top of his head whilst chuckling. He stole a brief glance at Nodoka's quivering form. She seemed to have changed her wardrobe since last night, and a fairly dramatic one at that. Nodoka wore a pretty white dress which slightly draped over her knees. Over her dress was a light, milky tea coloured jacket. One her feet were sky blue socks and white comfortable trainers. Lastly, around her right shoulder was a lime handbag with long straps. Keitaro felt a pang of guilt. His casual wardrobe was okay for a shopping trip, but hardly presentable unlike Nodoka.

"Um… maybe I should change into something else?" Keitaro voiced his thoughts.

Nodoka waved her hands as if it wasn't such a big deal. "No, no… it's okay! You're fine the way you are!"

Keitaro swallowed a lump in his throat. Nodoka's slight misinterpretation caused her to blush.

"W-well… if you say so…" Keitaro decided to say. "Um, (ahem) we better get going."

"Y-yeah! Okay!" Nodoka agreed.

With the distractions complete, Keitaro and Nodoka walked out of the dormitory, by the hot springs and descended the never ending steps. Neither of them had a clue what was _really_ in store for them…

**-0-0-**

Meanwhile Yue was sitting in the bathroom toilet, waiting for nature to take its course. Her eyes were narrowed into two slits and endless waterfalls were coming out them… an understandable and much needed relief after waiting so long.

"_So… this… this is heaven…" _She whispered, still in her own personal state of nirvana.

_To be continued…_

…

…

_Author: I was going to make this an extra long chapter but decided instead to divide it into two parts. I decided this because part two is of a different contrast compared to this one. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the hilarity of the library trio, as well as Yue's vain attempts to kick them out._

_I don't know about you guys but this year seemed to have flown by. It only seemed like a short while ago since I wrote a chapter just before the start of 2008. Now it's nearly 2009. During this year I have definitely improved as a writer, and long may I continue to improve with every chapter that follows._

_Okay, there's nothing else left to say, except to hope to see you all in the new year! Farewell for now!_


	31. Her Confession

**Chapter Thirty One - Her Confession**

…

A nice, descending walk, down the steps and alongside the man of your dreams. This should be a fantasy come true for most teenagers of the feminine variety… but for Nodoka Miyazaki, it didn't go quite as well as she planned. She drifted away from reality for a split second, which caused her to lose her footing, and one losing her footing when walking down some steps was a recipe for disaster. Taking Keitaro down with her, the two of them tumbled all the way to the bottom, a fast yet painful way to travel. They both sat hard on the pavement below, feeling dazed as they rubbed their foreheads. Keitaro was the first to recover. As his vision focused, he caught a glimpse of a sight both wonderful and terrorising. Underneath her white dress was a pair of pale blue panties with a picture of a brown bunny rabbit face in the middle. Keitaro immediately stood up and averted his tainted eyes elsewhere.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he reached a hand out.

"Owow… I'm alright thanks." Nodoka replied, though still understandably embarrassed. _"My knee hurts…"_

"Hey! Your knee…"

Keitaro noticed a schoolgirl graze on her right knee; a greyish patch with a small red cut around the middle. By chance, Keitaro had with him a small box of first aid plasters. Due to his infamous history of clumsiness, Haruka had always advised him to carry such equipment with him. Opening the box, Keitaro delicately placed a square plaster on top of her wound.

"…there. That'll help." He said with a smile.

"Th-thank you." Nodoka replied, who stood up and bowed.

Despite the false start, Nodoka had a steady grin as she walked next to Keitaro, though it was a grin that translated into 'what the hell do I do next?'

Keitaro was the first to make conversation. One thing Keitaro noticed was that he couldn't properly see her eyes. He remembered her unique hairstyle when they and the others were experiencing the attractions of Toudai.

"Hey, can you see okay?" Keitaro asked.

Nodoka swallowed a lump in her throat, and nodded like a sick, obedient puppy.

Keitaro made an eyesmile. "Well… okay, so long as you don't have any accide-"

His concluding words denied him, for a lamppost smacked right between his eyes. He collapsed backwards and was now seeing images of small bunny rabbits circling around his head. Nodoka immediately tried to nurse him as best as she could.

**-0-0-**

Nearby the hot springs, Mana turned suspicious. For starters, one was not allowed to constantly engage in conversation during meditation. Secondly, one was not allowed to frolic around in the hot springs with their eyes wide open.

"Whee! This sure is fun!" Chirped Konoka, who then noticed a brown moth flutter around her. "Oh wow! A moth! Hello moth-chan!"

Mana opened one eye. Last time she checked, meditation wasn't supposed to be fun either, not that much fun at least. "Konoka-san… do you mind telling me what this is _really _about?" She asked.

Konoka stared at her nose as the moth amazingly rested on its bridge. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Mana said nothing, but looked at her more sternly. Buying the hint, Konoka watched the moth fly away, then rubbed the back of her neck whilst laughing nervously.

**-0-0-**

In the living room, Chisame, Haruna and Makie were all watching 'Love Actually', when suddenly Chisame turned off the set.

"Hey! What gives Chisame-chan?" Makie complained. "We were watching that!"

"Chisame-chan, are you okay?" Haruna asked.

Chisame simply nodded before replying. "Oh I'm fine thanks, I just want to watch something else. You wouldn't happen to have a DVD called 'Spill the Beans' now would you?"

Haruna had a somewhat confused look on her face. "Uuuummm. Nope, never heard of it."

Chisame inwardly groaned, whilst Makie still complained about not watching her favourite DVD. "Spill the beans? As in spill it? Fess up? Confess?"

"…" Was Haruna's only reply.

Chisame closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Either Haruna was incredibly smart or incredibly dense. She decided to call upon the phase known as the direct approach.

"You see, unlike madam peanut brain, I know why Nodoka elected to go with Keitaro... and I'd wager it has nothing to do with assisted shopping."

"Huh?" Replied Makie. _"Peanut brain?!"_

Haruna at once laughed at this. "Oh… ha ha! Guess I got busted huh?"

As Haruna explained the situation regarding Nodoka's crush. Mana walked in with Konoka. Konoka was wearing nothing except a towel around her body, rounding off her unorthodox meditation.

"Ha ha, guess we got found out huh Paru-chan!" Konoka chirped. "Come on everyone! Let's discuss this in the hot springs!"

Mana made a face. _"You only went there five minutes ago."_

**-0-0-**

Around three minutes later, Yue had thankfully recovered from overloading bowel syndrome, and was now spying the scene below from the top balcony. She was wearing a pair of binoculars and was focusing her vision on Haruna. Her breasts were quite a size and were scarcely hidden within the waters. Yue felt a pang of jealously. The girl she loved to loathe had a bubbly personality _and _was blessed with such assets, something the blunette failed in both categories. Then she looked at Konoka. Konoka was way too cheerful, especially for Yue's liking. Someone with that much happiness should be deemed offensive.

"Hello Yue-chan."

Yue spun around and saw Mana swiftly appear behind her.

"Enjoying yourself?" She asked.

Yue didn't answer, not out of rudeness, but because she couldn't think of anything to say. Mana joined Yue for a brief period and looked at the four girls having the conversation. She narrowed her eyes before nodding to herself.

"I'll leave you to your spying." Mana replied, and walked away to her room.

Mana stole another glance at the hot springs.

"_Hmm. Those two certainly are more crafty than they appear."_

…

…

Makie and Chisame were floating on the south end of the hot springs, whilst Haruna and Konoka stood floating on the north. Chisame's glasses were steamed up, thanks to the increasing warmth of the sky, and the rising steam from the water. Chisame suddenly felt a suspicion rise inside her. Makie had been talking to the library duo, mainly questions about Nodoka and Keitaro. However, maybe it was just Chisame, but the replies from Haruna and Konoka seemed a little… offbeat.

Cautiously, Chisame waded towards Konoka. She was right in her theory, since Konoka hadn't made any kind of reaction from her close presence. Haruna was the same. Chisame circled behind Konoka… and tore out a large segment of her skull.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO THEM?!?" Makie screamed.

Chisame inwardly shook her head. She kind of wished Mosquito had a little more common sense by now. She repeated the same action on the back of Haruna's head.

"Take a look." She said flatly, pointing to two cassettes where naturally brains should have inhabited. "They're dummies… _and that answer could have more than one meaning…"_

Makie's eyes widened as the recorded voices were still being played.

Konoka's cassette sounded like this. "Wow! I really like these hot springs! … … I think flowers are so cute! … … Do you think my hair is a little too long? … … Wow! I really like these hot springs! …"

Whereas Haruna's cassette sounded like this. "I create Manga comics for a living, but the deadlines are way too harsh! So what are your hobbies Makie-chan and/or Chisame-chan? Erm… uh oh I think it's going to run out. Ahem! Please turn over to side B!"

Makie scratched her head. "But why would they do something like this?"

"_She is so clueless." _Chisame thought as she groaned a little. "Isn't it obvious? Manager-san and Nodoka are going out on a date, and the other two dunderheads are planning to stalk them in order to check out their progress."

Makie's eyes widened some more. "No way! You mean they're 'going out' going out?"

"Yep. Somewhat indirectly, but yeah."

Makie had a thought or two inside her head, but before she could execute these thoughts to action, Makie was interrupted by the redhead once again.

"Whatever you're thinking of, stop." Chisame said, crossing her arms sternly. "Just because you had one little date with him doesn't mean he will instantly fall in love with you."

Makie opened her mouth, realising Chisame was already four or five steps ahead of the conversation. "It… it wasn't a date!" She countered, somewhat weakly.

"Last time I checked, when you kiss someone after you spend a whole day out with them, that qualifies as a date."

"You… you saw me kiss Senpai?"

"No, but by you saying that, you have now clarified to me that you have in fact kissed him."

If Chisame was a pianist, she would have been Mozart, for she did not miss a single note.

"Look…" Chisame continued. "…whether you have feelings for him or not doesn't bother me in the least. What I'm saying is Keitaro… is just being human. If this is a date, then so be it. Let him decide who he wants to like. _Geez why am I getting involved in this?"_

Makie thought long and hard over what Chisame said, which Chisame thought was quite surprising considering this was the Mosquito.

"Um… Chisame-chan?" Makie asked. "Do you-"

"Well I think I've had enough 'hot springs action' for one day." Chisame interrupted, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body. "See you later on."

With a confused expression, Makie watched Chisame dry herself off before walking back into the dormitory. Her thoughts were her only companion, as she tried to make light of what Chisame had said to her.

**-0-0-**

If the word 'confusion' was looked up in the dictionary, then a picture of Keitaro would be featured in a special double paged edition. He still didn't understand why he was being accompanied by the shy girl known as Nodoka. After all, Keitaro only regarded this as a simple shopping trip; walk outside, purchase a few items of food and other necessities, and walk back to Hinata-Sou again. There was nothing particularly exciting about that. Maybe Nodoka was just a kind hearted person, and thus wanted to help him, but if that was the case, why was Nodoka dressed up like that? Keitaro's mind started to take u-turns. It was quite the weird experience for him. Come to think of it, it was quite the weird experience for her as well.

Keitaro and Nodoka weaved through each individual isle, and Keitaro checked off the items on his list, one by one. Keitaro had a shopping basket half full of items, and Nodoka just sort of looked around the place, trying not to stare at him for too long. Suddenly, Nodoka ceased movement and turned around. She was certain she heard a high pitched 'poing-poing' sound, but decided it was only her paranoia toying with her, and so resumed walking with Keitaro.

Haruna and Konoka peeped through the fruit and vegetable isle, the same isle Keitaro and Nodoka were examining. Both of them were wearing casual but cute clothing. Haruna's antennas acted like a makeshift device, activating a weird sound whenever the couple were close by. Although she had that manic smile of hers, inside, Haruna felt a little downcast.

"Come on Nodoka-chan!" Haruna encouraged in a whispering motion. "Show us a little blue movie action!"

Konoka made a sweat drop sort of smile. "I don't think she is that kind of person."

"Then it's a good job we came along to spice things up!" Added Haruna. _"And I have the necessary mad skills to get the job done!"_

The two girls hushed themselves silent when they watched Keitaro open his mouth to speak.

"Well… um, I guess that's all we need." He said quietly. Still Keitaro wondered why Nodoka decided to go with him.

"No! That's NOT all you need!" Konoka called out. "You need to buy some vegetables! YOU NEED TO BUY SOME - (GLURK)"

Wisely, Haruna managed to cover her friend's mouth before dragging her away. Nodoka wasn't stupid though. She could easily tell her friends were close by.

"_Oh no… I had a feeling they would show up." _Nodoka whimpered.

As for Keitaro, his clueless ability had tuned itself to another gear. "Heh… you know, it's weird but I could have sworn I heard voices in my head telling me to buy vegetables… and the voices were right! We don't have any!"

Clueless indeed.

The line was long and moved grudgingly forwards until Keitaro paid for his goods. As soon as they stepped outside with the shopping, two women dressed in red suits appeared out of nowhere… suspiciously looking like Haruna and Konoka. They sort of resembled stewardesses, complete with high heels and everything. Each one had a ticket which they both shoved into Keitaro's pocket. Actually on closer inspection, the 'tickets' looked like stale crackers.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE A LUCKY WINNING PAIR!!" Haruna shouted, raising a fist in this most glorious and unexplained event.

Nodoka smeared a hand over her face. _"Oh no! This is way too obvious! Keitaro-senpai is going to think this was all a plan to get me and him together!"_

But if 'obvious' was the bait, then Keitaro must be the moronic fish that didn't bite it. "Oh wow! Really?! That's great! Uh… what do we win?" He said with excitement and confusion.

Nodoka fell over in disbelief.

"What do you _win_?" Haruna repeated. "What do you WIN?! You two… are the lucky winners of ah… these two… UNIVERSAL TICKETS!"

"U-Universal tickets?" Repeated Keitaro.

Nodoka's head resembled a turtle withdrawing into its shell. _"Please leave us alone…"_

After a few nail biting seconds, Haruna rummaged through the garbage of lies before finding a suitable answer. "Yeah! Haven't you heard of them? The universal tickets means you can watch any film you choose at anytime for FREE!"

Keitaro widened his eyes in surprise. "Wow! That's pretty cool I guess! Oh but hang on, we got to take in the shopping…"

Haruna stroked her chin as she thought long and hard over the situation… well actually it was more like three and a half seconds, but it was long enough for Haruna. Keitaro was carrying two heavy bags of shopping, whilst Nodoka carried the rest in a smaller, lighter bag. Haruna grabbed all three bags away from their unsuspecting hands… and slung the lot over her shoulder. Jaws were dropped.

"Shopping?! Forget about shopping! These babies in your pocket are a one in a million lifetime!" She beamed, unaware that the food scattered across the road had caused an ice cream van to skid and crash on its side, which in turn caused many more cars to pile up next to it. Horns and people swearing were heard soon afterwards.

Konoka grabbed Nodoka by the wrist and Haruna performed a similar action to Keitaro. The four of them sprinted before the victims found out what the cause of this situation was all about. To add to the van driver's problems, all of the frozen lollies had spilled onto the pavement, attracting lots of excited children like wildfire.

**-0-0-**

Since the nearest cinema was a fair distance away, the three girls and Keitaro had all paid for a train ride, so they waited for a short while until it arrived at its destination. Keitaro admitted that it did feel kind of odd that the other two girls were still hanging around him, but Keitaro being Keitaro passed it off as no big deal. Nodoka was still surprised at what Haruna and Konoka had got away with. The shy girl was even more surprised that Keitaro still didn't recognise their true identities. Despite the outfits, the only item that properly concealed them was a red cap. No sunglasses or makeup. Just the caps.

Keitaro scratched his head as he thought of something. "Um… not that I want to sound rude, but… why are you two still here?"

Through a series of 'ums' and 'arrs', Haruna found the winning reply. "Well… think of us as your personal bodyguards!"

"That's right!" Chirped Konoka. "We're here to protect you and your tickets from any kind of harm!"

Nodoka caught a brief view of the changing scenery before sighing quietly. Little white lies were beginning to transform into gargantuan white demons.

Not a moment too soon after the train stopped, Keitaro and Nodoka were whisked away by their bodyguards. After a few minutes jogging into the city, the four found themselves outside the vast cinema complex, unsurprisingly one of the larger attractions in Tokyo. Keitaro, Nodoka, Haruna and Konoka all stepped inside.

A cool aired ambience filled the main room. The music in the background resembled a selection of rock based instruments. Besides the main cinematic rooms, there was also an arcade section, as well as a few stands that sold sweet and savoury foods. The queue was laid out in a typical up and down pattern, but since it was fairly early in the day, not many people were waiting around.

Haruna promptly retrieved the 'tickets' from Keitaro's pocket. "Alrighty! You two go and face over there whilst me and my associate will do all the complicated stuff!"

Keitaro scratched his head. "Um… alright." He replied.

There was an odd moment of silence as Nodoka and Keitaro stood side by side, neither of them moving a muscle.

"Wow, who would have thought we could be so lucky?" Keitaro said to Nodoka.

Nodoka could just die from embarrassment. "Y-yeah." Was all she could say.

There was a four second pause.

"Uh… why are we staring at a wall?" Asked Keitaro.

"I don't know." Replied Nodoka.

Haruna and Konoka approached the ticket seller and paid, in cash, full price for three teens and one adult.

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

Yue's mind felt heavy, filled with many inane thoughts. She was in her bedroom, sitting on her bed and reading another book… only she wasn't really reading it… more like vaguely looking at its pages. She was tired, and she felt annoyed for feeling this way. She wanted to make the most of this free time until those three nuisances decided to return, but her eyes were telling her to give up and go to sleep. Reluctantly, she did. She carefully placed the book on the floor and laid herself face up on the bed. Yue was spread out like a star, staring into nothing. Those three occupied her mind again. Why did they have to enter her life? At least the residents and Keitaro respected her privacy, but Haruna and Konoka, according to her, had this 'in your face' attitude, literally in some cases. In Yue's opinion, people like that should mind their own business. Nodoka wasn't so annoying, but for her to hang out with those two… no… there was no point thinking about this any longer.

She fell asleep… and tried her best not to think about them.

…

…

…

…

…

A smaller, younger Yue was dressed smartly in a sailor blue and white school uniform. She looked out of the large window and heard an ambience she was all too familiar with. They were the sound of children enjoying themselves, running freely without a care in the world. Yue never understood the concept of people her age, as of why the did such things and why they would always behave in such a strange manner. Yue turned her attention away from the window, and focused back to her book. The book was meant for people twice her age, but Yue understood every paragraph she read.

The classroom door swung open and three girls of Yue's age entered the vicinity. They all approached Yue with big wide smiles. The one on left had short blue hair, the middle one hand long, curly black hair and the one on the right had shoulder length chocolate hair. All of them were of an equal height to Yue. Yue remembered their names; Maiyan, Tonya and Chou. They were a bubbly bunch of girls, much unlike Yue herself.

"Hey Yue-chan!" Maiyan, the blue haired girl chirped with an eyesmile. "Come and play with us!"

Yue remained reading her book. "No thanks." She quietly replied.

The brunette Tonya pouted. "Aw come on! It'll be fun!"

"We're playing blind man's bluff and we're short on one girl! Please join us!" Chou, the one with dark hair pleaded.

Little Yue took down her defences the second she sagged her shoulders. She had been reading the same book for some time, and in the end, decided perhaps a silly game would make a refreshing change of pace.

"Well… okay." Yue said at last.

The girls made a cheering sound and the four walked out of the classroom.

…

…

…

The playing field was vast, and was the ideal location for any child with a craving for adventure and fun. The weather was just about right; not too warm and not too cold. Near the far left of the field was where there were swings, a slide and a climbing frame, though all of these pleasant amusements were unoccupied this time.

There was a large, perfect circle of children sitting down on the grass, and Yue was amongst those in the circle. Around the outer ring was Tonya who was lightly patting the sailor hats the boys and girls wore, one by one in a clockwise fashion.

"Duck! Duck! Duck! Duck!"

Yue wondered why Tonya was running around the outer ring saying 'duck' all the time. Were all games supposed to be this strange?

"Duck! Duck! Duck! Duck!"

Yue suddenly tensed up as she could feel the presence of Tonya stopping. Tonya grinned, showing none of the niceness she did back when she was talking to Yue in the classroom.

"GOOSE!"

Tonya slapped Yue's back so hard that she fell on her face in the grass. As she wearily stood up, Yue looked at the other two faces. Maiyan and Chou giggled mischievously, both of them carrying a red blindfold. They tightly wrapped the blindfold over Yue's surprised eyes, so Yue couldn't see a thing.

Yue was terrified. Her world became black as she was being pushed and shoved around. Laughing and teasing were the voices heard around her, noises that were intended for cruelty. She tripped over legs and stumbled over countless times. The fear and confusion continued for what seemed like ages… but it was fear incomparable to what she was about to experience.

As she continued to walk around randomly, her right foot did not feel any ground, only air. Yue managed to travel such a distance that she toppled into a far away pond. She panicked and found herself quickly descending into the freezing cold waters. The children screamed and ran away, leaving Yue alone to her fate. Thank goodness a teacher noticed the pond behaving strangely, only to find a pair of arms flapping… and a desperate voice bubbling underwater. Without a second thought, the teacher rushed over and pulled Yue out of the icy depths…

…

…

…

…

Yue woke up with a gasp. The nightmare was over, but the memories were still there. She felt a cold sweat drip from her forehead, the same bitter coldness from what she once felt all those years ago.

…

**-0-0-**

The large screen of light shone into the dark room. Haruna and Konoka had already found two comfy red seats to park their behind, so they could keep a watchful eye on the nervous couple. Haruna had equipped with her an infra-red, extra zoom in motion pair of binoculars, ordered from a militant site on the Internet. Konoka was simply satisfied with her strawberry milkshake, slurping merrily as she waited for the film to begin. The film was apparently the latest blockbuster called 'Catch that Turtle!' and it was about a turtle (funnily enough) who had the ability to fly, and caused much mayhem and madness. A light hearted comedy so to speak.

Meanwhile the 'happy couple' decided to sit somewhere between the middle and the front. Haruna grinned as she spotted them through infra vision. Things seemed to be taking a turn for the better when Haruna watched Keitaro share his bag of popcorn with Nodoka. Though still nervous, Nodoka managed to settle down into her chair. She did find it a touch unusual that Keitaro didn't even question about what film they were seeing, but realised that was just Keitaro's absentminded way.

Keitaro wasn't weird in Nodoka's eyes. Keitaro was… kind of… special. A good kind of special.

…

…

…

…

…

The film lasted one and a half hours, and everyone promptly lifted themselves from their seats the moment the closing credits appeared. Keitaro and Nodoka were amongst the last of the people to depart, and once they did, they stepped into the bright outside once more.

Keitaro rubbed his neck as he fumbled for something to say. "Um… so what did you think of the film?"

Nodoka tried to find the answer on top of her walking shoes. "Well… it was funny, but kinda weird that the turtle could speak."

Keitaro laughed. "Yeah! I mean what's next? A talking ermine?"

Nodoka giggled. "That's just silly!"

As the two shared a joyous moment, Nodoka felt a sudden nervousness. Haruna and Konoka. Where on earth had they disappeared to? As the couple walked further into the city, Nodoka's thoughts were soon answered. It was hard _not _to notice them. They were the centre of attention, and they had discarded their previous wardrobe in exchange for brightly coloured yellow swimsuits, with matching goggles and swim caps. Haruna was carrying a megaphone, and showed no hesitance in using it.

"**ATTENTION EVERYONE!!" **She blasted out, as if they didn't have enough attention already. **"WE ARE LOOKING FOR TWO EXTRA PARTICIPANTS WHO WISH TO, UH, TAKE PART IN OUR ANNUAL SWIMSUIT CONTEST!"**

Konoka borrowed the megaphone before making her speech. **"Naturally we need a guy and a girl, or a girl and a girl if you're into that sort of thing!"**

Naturally, this commotion attracted a lot of young aged guys, but most of them bowed their heads in shame when they realised they didn't have a partner. A few others, however, fished their mobile phones out in order to locate their loved ones.

Keitaro frowned. "You know… I could have sworn I've seen those girls before…" He said, thus earning another solemn sigh from the blunette.

Haruna scouted around the area until at last she spotted them. Paru vision successfully activated! Haruna paid no attention to the couples around her. She jogged straight past them and stopped inches away from Nodoka and Keitaro.

"**HEY YOU TWO! YOU LOOK LIKE A CUTE COUPLE! WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES?"**

Their heads and hair were blown backwards due to the amplified voice from the megaphone. When she realised what she had done, Haruna grinned sheepishly and turned off the device.

"Um… I'm sorry but it's not like that." Keitaro replied, feeling embarrassed for himself and Nodoka.

"Well… is she a girl?" Haruna asked.

Keitaro wasn't very good at answering questions on the spot, but even the king of clueless had no trouble with this one. "Well… yeah…"

"And is she your friend?"

"I… I guess…"

"Ta da! That means she is your girlfriend! So what are your names?"

"Uh, I'm Keitaro and this is N-"

"Keitaro and Nodoka! Pleased to meet you!" Haruna greeted, shaking both of their hands. "Come this way!"

Konoka joined in the scene and dragged Nodoka by the arms, whilst Haruna did the same to Keitaro. They forcefully escorted them just outside of the Ariake Youth Centre. Keitaro stared at the vastness of this place. He had heard of its presence but never once had he ventured inside, possibly because he wasn't really into sports.

"Wait here! We got some… stuff to sort out first!" Haruna instructed. She nodded to Konoka and they both rushed inside the centre, still wearing their swimwear.

Nodoka vaguely looked at Keitaro before laughing nervously. "Ah… ah hahaha! Well this is certainly unexpected!"

Keitaro joined in the laughter, though he still didn't have a clue what was really going on. "Yeah, heh! Unexpected! Really unexpected!"

Haruna looked around the reception area. Good. There were no queues. In fact, the only person on sight was the receptionist; an eighteen year old boy, with scruffy blonde hair and smart looking clothes. He actually looked five years younger than his actual age, plus he was nervous, maybe because this was his first day working here. Double good.

The blonde spoke in a high-pitched voice when the two bathing beauties approached him. "Aaah, ah ah ah hi! W-welcome to the Ariake Youth Centre! H-how may I-I help you?"

He blushed the second he stole a glimpse at their figures. Haruna smiled innocently as she was getting ready to speak to the guy. Inner Haruna grinned wickedly as she was getting ready to send the guy into five states of bewilderment.

"Hiya!" Haruna beamed. "We are part of the Tokyo Paru Community (TPC) and we are here to announce the extra exclusive swim suit contest! Here are all the necessary documents and whatnot!"

Drenched with confusion, the blonde examined the clipboard given to him. It all seemed fairly legit (Haruna must have spent ages working on it), but he was never informed of such an event.

"Um…" He tried to say, trying to conjure up a whole manner of words. "I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of anything taking place today. D-do you have any references?"

"References?" Haruna repeated, placing a finger on her lips. "Well there is our manager… Hais Noname-san, but he's out for the day so he's unavailable!"

The blonde gently pushed the paperwork back to Haruna. "I'm sorry but without the proper references I cannot allow you two entry."

The evil visage of Haruna turned around and smiled devilishly. _"He's pretty good." _She thought. _"Time to initiate Plan B…"_

The blonde kind of wondered why the two of them were still standing around. His hand trembled as it slowly reached the secret button to call for security. His hands were just inches away from it, when Haruna started to sniff.

"My manager is going to fire me for sure…" Haruna whimpered.

The receptionist's hand froze. "Say what?"

"It's just that… me and my sister, you know, thatgirlrightnexttome, we promised our manager that we would do this for him. He said he would fire us if we didn't! Just once I would like to keep a job for at least a month, so I can bring a pay check with me home. Then I can properly feed my nine starving little sisters!"

He then asked. "But… what about your parents?"

Haruna stopped and noticed Konoka was making no effort to do anything. Haruna slapped her sharply on the back, and immediately Konoka took the hint.

"Our parents…" Konoka's lips began to tremble. "Our… p-parents…? OUR PARENTS?! W…W-W… WAAAAGGGGHHH!!"

As Konoka buried her head into Haruna's chest, Haruna gently soothed her with words of encouragement. She pretended to carefully stroke her hair.

"Shhh… it's okay…" Haruna whispered to her 'sister'. "Mummy and daddy are in happy heaven now…"

Konoka continued to cry crocodile tears. "They were… they were both happily (sniff sniff) riding together in a scooter… when… when all of a sudden, they collided into a tree and exploded! ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS A STRAND OF HAIR AND A SHOELACE! NOW WE'RE ALL GONNA STARVE TO DEATH!"

Haruna pulled Konoka closer to her. "Psst… that was a little over the top." She whispered.

"Oh, sorry."

The blonde took the bait, hook, line and sinker, and was now sharing tears with them. "Omigosh! I'm so sorry! You know what… all the paperwork is fine! In fact, it is more than fine! Please, follow me right away!"

As the receptionist walked off in front, Haruna turned around and noticed Nodoka was looking at her through the windowed door. Haruna gave her a thumbs up and a wink to ensure everything is going to be okay… which, according to Nodoka, meant everything was so not going to be okay.

**-0-0-**

Haruna and Konoka gazed at the beauty of the Amazon Lake Arena, watching the main pool sparkle a million sapphires. There were a few extra additions like water waves and slides, attractions which, no doubt all the children thoroughly enjoyed as they splashed around. There was an assortment of teenagers too, mostly in the sixteen to eighteen region, but an equal mix of girls and guys. The lifeguards around the pool did wonder what the hell was going on, but after seeing the receptionist, decided not to press themselves further on the matter. Haruna had the necessary equipment to attract everyone's attention; that being a megaphone and a large mouth, but an audience would need somewhere to park their behinds on, and the wet floors will simply not do. There was ample space at the front end of the arena, but Haruna wasn't completely satisfied.

Haruna clapped her hands to get the blonde's attention. "Hey! What are you standing around for?! This is supposed to be a contest! Contests need an audience, and an audience need somewhere to sit on!"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Replied the blonde.

"What do you mean, you don't understand?!" Haruna ordered. "Get us two hundred chairs pronto!"

The blonde bowed twice in quick succession. "Y-yes ma'am!"

The poor lad ran to whatever places had chairs. Chairs were the only thing on his mind.

Konoka sighed. "We are so going to hell."

"I'm not!" Grinned Haruna. "I already sold my soul to Manga-Corp Studios Inc! Don't worry though, I'll send you a postcard!"

"You're mean." Konoka pouted.

After a short moment, Keitaro and Nodoka stepped into the arena, marvelling at its presence the same way Haruna and Konoka were previously.

"I wonder if we need swimwear to take part?" Suggested Keitaro. "Because I forgot to bring mine."

Nodoka sort of trailed off with her sentence. "Oh don't worry, I'm sure Paru-chan will provide us with some."

Keitaro slowly looked at Nodoka with a touch of curiosity. Nodoka's heart stopped as she realised what she just said.

"Aaaah… I mean… I'm not sure! I mean, but I'm fairly certain… _someone _will provide us with _something_… otherwise what's the point in asking us in the first place! Ahaha!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right!" Keitaro said. "Y'know, this may seem weird, but I'm getting kind of… excited."

"You are?"

"Yeah, kind of."

Suddenly, Keitaro's right hand took a life of its own. It slowly, and ever so gently brushed the bangs of hair away from Nodoka's forehead, revealing the hidden beauty that comprised of two, innocent looking orbs of blue. Nodoka froze, not knowing how to react from his touch. Her heart thumped a much quicker and louder rhythm. She gulped and started to feel really hot. Keitaro was acknowledging her presence, and the feeling was… quite incredible.

Keitaro gasped and retreated his hand. "Sorry, Nodoka-chan… it's just… I think you look better with your hair back."

A couple of loose strands fell back, partially covering one of Nodoka's eye. "Um, well… th-thanks."

Haruna's extra loud voice exploded them back to reality.

The blonde receptionist was a miracle worker. In no time at all, he had correctly positioned many chairs in the front of the Amazon Arena, though not all of the chairs were the same. Konoka had managed to encourage the swimmers, and even the lifeguards to take a seat during this amazing, yet somewhat unlikely spectacle. In not time at all the seats were filled. Shortly afterwards, Konoka then persuaded Keitaro and Nodoka to the front end of the room, which by persuade, she actually dragged them both by their hands. Keitaro at one point thought he was a computer game or anime character, being controlled against his will… another one of his many silly imaginations.

"**WELCOME TO THE SUMMER ANNUAL SWIMSUIT CONTEST! HAVE WE GOT A SHOW FOR YOU LADIES AND GENTS!" **Haruna 'megaphoned'. **"HOWEVER, BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE NEED A FEW VOLUNTEERS, ANY BOYFRIENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS WANNA STRUT THEIR STUFF?! THIS HAPPY COUPLE; NODOKA AND KEITARO WERE MORE THAN WILLING TO TAKE PART, BUT WE NEED MORE PARTICIPANTS, OR IT WON'T BE MUCH OF A COMPETITION NOW WILL IT? SO COME ON! GET UP THERE AND SHOW US YOUR STUFF!"**

Both Keitaro and Nodoka felt worried. _"I wonder who we'll be competing against?" _They thought.

Haruna looked at all the filled seats. Her shoulders sagged. It seemed like lots of people were willing to _see _the show… but taking part was another matter entirely.

"_Just my luck to have a bunch of party poopers…" _Thought Haruna.

Thankfully, a small boy aged no more than nine rose to the occasion with surprising enthusiasm. His name was Haruki and he had scruffy dark hair and brown eyes. He could almost pass off as a miniature replica of Keitaro. At the moment, all he was wearing was a pair of blue swimming shorts. As he stood up, he also forcefully pulled another girl up with him. The girl in question was the same age as Haruki, but stood an inch shorter than him. Her name was Yuki and she had slightly pale skin, short cut blonde hair and blue eyes. Yuki wore a lime green swimsuit. When she was the centre of attention, Yuki was very embarrassed and shy, much like Nodoka.

"Hey! Over here!" Haruki called out, waving his hand. "I'm Haruki and this is Yuki-chan! We'll do it, won't we?"

But Yuki seemed to be protesting hysterically. "Haruki-kun! She said boyfriends and girlfriends only!" She said angrily.

Haruki didn't understand the concept of what Yuki said. He thought 'girlfriend' and 'girl-who-is-a-friend' were both technically the same thing.

"What do you mean?" Haruki asked. "I mean we're both friends, right?"

"Y-yeah, but…"

Too late. The youngest participants were now escorted by Konoka to the main stage (well, it wasn't really a stage, more like just the front space which wasn't occupied with chairs). Haruki raised a victorious fist in the air as the audience clapped their hands together. Yuki flushed red and found her bare feet to be the main attraction of the show.

"**ANYONE ELSE?" **Haruna asked. _"C'mon… just one pair will do…"_

Ten second had passed by, but there were no other replies. Luckily Haruna had an ace up her sleeve. She spied the blonde receptionist, who thought he could stealthily tiptoe away, since he had performed the necessary tasks at hand.

"**HEY, BLONDY!"**

He froze like a criminal caught red handed.

"Pssst! Konoka-chan! Nab him!" Haruna whispered to Konoka.

Before he could blink, the eighteen year old now found himself standing at the 'stage', courtesy of Konoka . He looked kind of worried and stupid at the same time.

"**WHAT A GOOD SPORT! OUR VERY OWN RECEPTIONIST HAS DECIDED TO ENTER THE CONTEST AS WELL! BY THE WAY WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"**

The receptionist stood straight to attention. "J-Jake Antler ma'am!"

"**HEY THAT NAME SOUNDS ENGLISH!"**

"W-well I'm half Japanese, but I was born and raised in an English family."

"**WOW! THAT'S COOL!"**

There were a few seconds of pure still ambience. Jake looked to one side and felt embarrassed.

"**OH THAT'S RIGHT! I ALMOST FORGOT!" **Haruna realised. **"JAKE DOESN'T HAVE A PARTNER!"**

"Well… that means we'll have to find him one!" Added Konoka.

"**MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! WHICH IS WHY I HAVE CHOSEN… MY FELLOW MEMBER OF STAFF, KONO… UM KOKINA!" **Haruna declared, pointing a righteous finger at her friend.

'Kokina' was about to cheer with a trademark eyesmile, but the smile suddenly changed into a two white circled face with dropped jaw.

"Dwah?!" Was the surprised voice coming out of her mouth.

**-0-0-**

And so the contest was finally on its way. The rules were straightforward enough; impress the audience by showing off a number of swimsuits, or trunks and shorts in the case of men. The contest was divided into three categories; traditional, cosplay and freestyle. At this moment, the guys were getting sorted out in the men's dressing area, and the ladies were getting ready in the women's dressing area. All six participants had their own privacy… for the best part of five minutes at least.

Nodoka looked at the large mirror as she slowly began to remove her layers of clothing. Displayed in front of her was a selection of colourful swimsuits. Some were strapless, others were cut away by the sides. All of them had their own style and flair, but there were so many to choose from! Heaven knows how Haruna prepared all of this in advance.

Nodoka placed a finger on her mouth. _"Which one of these will Keitaro-senpai like?"_

She quickly spotted one in the leftmost corner. She gulped. Nodoka wasn't used to wearing anything so bright and revealing, but this was a once in the lifetime opportunity. After putting on her first swimsuit, Nodoka turned from one side to the other, trying her best to make herself look as pretty as she could be. She clenched a hopeful fist and nodded in confidence.

"All right." She said to herself, and exited the dressing room.

**-0-0-**

Haruna did not like waiting around, and one minute felt like an hour to her. Thankfully, the waiting didn't take much longer as the first pair walked to the centre of attention; Keitaro Urashima and Nodoka Miyazaki. The couple looked at the excited audience with nervous smiles. Keitaro wore knee length swimming shorts which were coloured white and had a bolt of lightning shown on the right side. Nodoka wore a delicate rosy number with frills on the sides. The swimsuit bared an uncanny match to her cheeks and face.

As the audience cheered, both of them shot a sideways glance at each other. Keitaro saw Nodoka in a new light. The swimsuit matched her timid persona, and she truly looked like an angel. Nodoka was more focused on his upper body more than anything. She remembered being a witness to Keitaro's prowess during the fighting tournament, but she never realised how… manly he looked. It wasn't quite the quality of a body builder, but its was lean enough for a girl to stop and admire… which, unknown to Keitaro, was what some girls were doing right at this moment. Realising the two were staring at each other, they quickly averted their eyes elsewhere.

Haruna made a few ecstatic comments on the first pair, admiring their first choice of selected outfits. Haruki and Yuki were next up. Haruki made a giant wave at the audience, whilst Yuki, with a flushed face, was continuing her habit of feet staring. Haruki wore a flashy, baggy pair of split red and blue shorts, and Yuki wore a cream coloured two piece swimsuit, exposing her mid-drift in between. In the centre of her swimsuit was a petit red heart, further increasing Yuki's overall cuteness. Their popularity equalled Nodoka's and Keitaro's appearance, but in this case, there were more people making 'kawaii' comments instead.

Jake and Konoka couldn't be a more unorthodox pair as the two of them joined the other four. Jake had a weedy looking body, and the colour of his skin suggested he was allergic to that big yellow thing up in the sky. His face was bright red, easily feeling the most embarrassed of the six. He wore a tight pair of grey shorts with red vertical stripes. When Konoka met the audience, she greeted them with an eyesmile and a tilt of the head, earning an overjoyed round of applause. She wore a strapless white swimsuit with cheeky multicoloured polka dots.

"_That Kokina girl looks awfully familiar." _Keitaro pondered. Keitaro couldn't see her properly since he left his glasses in his dressing room.

…

The cosplay round was certainly entertaining. Nodoka surprised everyone, even herself when she reappeared to greet the audience. For the second round she wore a black gothic swimsuit and a witch's hat. Around her neck was a necklace with skulls circulating the piece of jewellery. Her and Keitaro somehow found themselves on the same wavelength, for he wore a Dracula style cloak with plastic fangs and black swimming trunks. Haruka and Yuki also had a similar mindset, for they both adopted the cliché but incredibly adorable cat style. Haruka wore orange swimming trunks, complete with cat tail and pointy ears. Yuki wore an orange swimsuit with the same cute additions. Then it was Konoka's and Jake's turn to strut their stuff. Konoka wore a glittery green swimsuit and a silver coloured tiara, plus she was carrying a magical wand, making her look like one of the sailor warriors. Jake wore a Frankenstein mask with a green lifeguard jacket and matching swimming trunks. The audience looked at him like he was a complete weirdo.

**-0-0-**

Nodoka could still hear the cheering as she entered her dressing room for the third time. The accumulated voices were enough to give her goose-bumps for a month, but now wasn't the time to think about that. Freestyle was the subject for the final round, and displayed in front of her was a whole manner of… well practically everything. Freestyle generally meant whatever the hell you want, so one could wear as much or as little as they wanted to. Nodoka fumbled around the clothing for a bit, and shrieked when she found the most daring bikini known to mankind. It was red, and it was very, very revealing. The swimming bra compromised of two small red triangles attached to what looked like string… and it didn't take a professor to figure out what the triangles were supposed to cover up. The bottom part was a red patch of material, attached to what appeared to be the wire used for a cheese-cutter.

"I am so NOT wearing that!" Nodoka nearly shouted out.

She only had a few dying minutes left before the audience would grow restless. Luckily she spotted something that was sure to appeal. Nodoka took one deep breath before replacing her gothic swimwear.

**-0-0-**

"**OKAY LADIES AND GENTS, I HOPE YOU ARE PUMPED UP FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL ROUND, BECAUSE THIS ONE'S A FREESTYLE, SO ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING GOES! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET ME INTRODUCE TO YOU FOR THE THIRD TIME, KEITARO URASHIMA!!"**

Keitaro amazed everyone with his new outfit. He must had remembered Chisame's lectures about what was stylish and what wasn't. He wore a silver pair of swimming trunks with an unbuttoned shirt of the same colour. It was certainly very flashy, but nowhere near as spectacular when Nodoka reappeared to join him. There were many excited gasps as they all looked at her sparkling silver bikini. Nodoka blushed and stared at the ceiling when she later received a standing ovation. She accidentally bumped into Keitaro, and the two looked at each other with embarrassment.

"**WAHOO! THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WORN DURING THE MILLENNIUM!" **Haruna called out. **"AND TALK ABOUT BEING ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH AGAIN! AS THEY SAY, GREAT COUPLES THINK ALIKE!"**

Keitaro gulped. _"Great c-couples?!"_

Haruki and Yuki were next. The excited young boy wore a green soccer t-shirt and yellow trunks. Tucked under his left arm was an inflatable football. The not so excited young girl decided to wear a sky blue swimsuit and a straw hat. Around her waist was a yellow inner tube with a giraffe's head poking out at the front. Again, the audience praised the young duo.

Nobody could understand what was going through Jake's mind as he greeted the crowd. He wore a brown cowboy jacket complete with trunks and spurred boots. The chosen style would have suited him if he didn't have such a scrawny white body, but at least he made some kind of effort.

Everyone's jaw dropped when Konoka entered the room.

To cut a long description short, Konoka wore the same red bikini that Nodoka deemed inferior. Nodoka couldn't believe her eyes, watching her friend lap up all the cheering she received. The way Konoka walked was like a supermodel. She had one hand behind her head and produced a stunning winking smile to the crowd. The back of Konoka would have looked naked if it wasn't for the barely visible string. Nearly all of the guys had to pinch their noses in case of a crimson reaction. Keitaro, likewise did the same, but Jake had already unleashed two jets of red fluid before collapsing in a dead faint.

Haruna was scared stiff. _"KONOKA!! You're supposed to let Nodoka-chan win the contest! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"_

The contest was finally over, and when Haruna asked the audience who they think should win… their results did surprise her. If the audience were all insecure sexually men, then Konoka would win unanimously. However, in this case, the end result sounded like a three way tie, according to Haruna… so it was up to her to cast the single winning vote.

She closed her eyes and grinned to herself.

"…**THE WINNERS ARE HARUKI-KUN AND YUKI-CHAN, FOR THEIR SIMPLY ADORABLE OUTFITS!"**

The youngest competitors didn't know how to react, so they stood wide eyed and frozen from the many cheers and whistles heard from the spectators. With an open smile, Konoka clapped along with them. Keitaro also joined in the applause. Nodoka hung her head and sighed in relief. She had no idea how she would react if she and Keitaro had won. After the world had lifted from her shoulders, Nodoka too clapped, knowing Haruna did the right thing. Jake, however, was still 'dead'.

"_Thank you Paru-chan." _Nodoka whispered to herself.

"Um, what do we win?" Haruki asked Haruna.

Haruna gulped. She hadn't even think about that, but all of a sudden, Konoka withdraw a silver coated Manga Comic book. The front cover had anime drawn frogs all over.

"You win the latest edition of Paru Frog-chan!" Konoka chirped with added eyesmile. "Five hundred pages and full of fun and frolics!"

"Wow! I love Paru Frog-chan!" Haruki and Yuki exclaimed together. The young couple looked at each other and giggled.

Haruna looked exasperated. **"WHAT?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING RAIDING MY STUFF?! THAT COMIC IS WORTH MILLIONS…!"**

Haruna turned her attention back to the now silent audience.

"…**AH… AHAHAHA!" **She laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. **"C…CON…CONGRATULATIONS YOU TWO! WELL DONE! **_Ha ha… … millions…"_

The audience erupted into cheers once again.

**-0-0-**

The Amazon Lake Arena resumed back to normality, though Jake was still unconscious through lack of blood. After he was prodded by his manager a couple of times, Jake at last came to, wondering why he resembled a cowboy. He quickly began to remember the last hour or so as he dressed himself back to his regular gear. Jake returned to the receptionist area… and was horrified to find out there was an exceptionally long queue of angry people waiting for him…

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

Haruna and Konoka decided on an early train ride back to Hinata-Sou, giving the two 'love birds' the privacy they needed. Haruna used her mobile phone to text Nodoka, stating they are leaving now, and the rest was up to her. Nodoka looked at her received message, and once she finished reading it… she didn't know how to feel. Her and Keitaro really were together, without any intrusions or interruptions.

The rest of the outing proved to be quite charming. It was the sort of pace Nodoka wanted, especially after that manic swim suit contest. She still couldn't believe how daring Konoka was. How would Keitaro react if she had worn that state of undress?

As the sky steadily darkened, Keitaro bought a few snacks for himself and Nodoka at a nearby food booth. Nodoka wanted to pay for the food as well, but Keitaro politely declined. Later on they walked by a drink stand. Keitaro asked if Nodoka would like a can of something, but Nodoka delicately refused. What with all the recent events up to now, she thought she was too much of a burden already.

"No, I'm not thirsty thanks." She replied quietly.

"Oh, okay." Keitaro replied.

Keitaro sipped on the can of orange juice, and the two found themselves walking together again. They decided to walk into a park with lots of beautiful flowers and other nature decorated over the place. The two sat on a nearby bench to replenish their stamina. The park was vacant, which Nodoka regarded as a stroke of luck. Keitaro continued to drink whilst Nodoka made some awkward gestures with her hands. A thought suddenly struck her. It was something Haruna told her a while ago.

"…_hey Nodoka-chan! Have you ever heard of an 'indirect kiss'?"_

"_No, what's that?"_

"_It's when a boy and a girl share a can of drink together! It activates only when both of their lips touch the brim of the can! According to legend, an indirect kiss is a great step for boyfriend and girlfriend potential!_

"Hey, are you sure you're not thirsty?!" Keitaro asked.

Nodoka snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at Keitaro's can of orange juice and began to vibrate. All parts of her body were shaking violently. The can was one inch away from her face. One inch. Approximately two and a half centimetres. She could see Keitaro's lips imprinted onto its silvery top.

"I AM SO THIRSTY!!" Nodoka shouted.

She snatched Keitaro's can away and began to feverishly gulp down its contents. Her face was the deepest shade of purple imaginable, and her two eyes turned into two gigantic swirls of lust.

"_I-I'm drinking Keitaro-senpai's fluids! I-I-I'm tasting Keitaro-senpai's saliva! I'm… I'm… I'm I'm I'm KISSING KEITARO-SENPAI!!"_

"Nodoka-chan! Are you alright?!"

Nodoka madly flipped out and threw the can smack into Keitaro's face. The juice spilled all down his front. Nodoka frantically apologised and in desperation tried to find her handkerchief to wipe off the mess. The moment she retrieved her handkerchief, the wind took a stronger turn, and caused it to escape from her grasps. The wind blew the handkerchief around in circular patterns, and Nodoka had to chase it through the flowers and the grass. Keitaro also rose from the bench in order to try and nab the cloth.

Keitaro's reflexes saved the day as he successfully grabbed it, but the two of them collided heads in the process. Both of them stumbled backwards and landed rear first on the grass. Keitaro managed to get up but Nodoka was still sitting down.

"Nodoka-chan, what's wrong?" Keitaro asked.

Unknown to Keitaro, Nodoka was sitting directly on top of an ant hill. She could feel millions of the little critters crawling all over her behind. Nodoka, at this stage, needed to say something smart. A simple plea for help. Be calm. Be cool.

"WAAAAGH!! MY BUTT IS STUCK!!" She wailed.

Keitaro flinched from her chosen words. With a strong arm he managed to wrench Nodoka out of the hole, but Nodoka couldn't control her momentum. She fell forward onto Keitaro's body, and they were both on the ground. She had her hands pinned against his chest. The wind brushed past the bangs of Konoka's hair, and Keitaro could see those wonderful, innocent wide eyes again. Both of them were blushing for some time.

They immediately apologised and quickly stood up as they brushed away excess grass and ants from their clothes. Keitaro, on a reflex, checked his watch. The time was getting late, and no doubt the residents would start to get concerned.

"We… better get going." Keitaro said. "Heh, you know… it's been quite a day. All I was going to do was get the shopping done… and OH GOD! THE SHOPPING! WE STILL HAVEN'T DONE ANY SHOPPING!"

Nodoka made no reply. Her hair hung lowly over her eyes.

"I better call a taxi." Keitaro suggested.

He began to reach for his mobile phone… when he felt a small tug against his arm. Nodoka's hand was gentle… but, at the same time, firm.

"K…Keitaro-senpai?"

Her voice was soft.

"What is it Nodoka-chan?"

Keitaro had a puzzled expression.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to drag you all the way here…"

"That's okay! Today turned out to be quite fun!"

"It did?"

"Yeah… though those girls did seem a little suspicious."

Nodoka sweat dropped. "Yeah… they were, weren't they?"

The wind blew a little fiercer. Her white dress flowed strongly to the right. Keitaro straightened out his clothes.

"Okay we better-"

Nodoka tightened her grip. Keitaro wasn't going anywhere. She whispered a prayer. She wanted the heavens to grant her happiness this late day.

"Keitaro-senpai, please listen to me! I… …I've liked you ever since I first laid my eyes on you!"

Nodoka gasped from her own words. She spoke her mind, and continued to do so.

"I thought you were awesome in the tournament, when you knocked out that large man in the first round! Then you won against the blonde woman! Then you were victorious against Mana-san… and… and you almost defeated a person who was a master of many different fighting styles…!"

"N-Nodo-" Keitaro began to say. He didn't finish that sentence because Nodoka pressed a hand over his mouth.

"…and on top of all this, you are so kind and sensitive! You always want to make the people around you happy… and you've made me happy too! In fact, right now, I… …feel like the happiest girl in the world…"

She closed her eyes. She didn't want to see Keitaro's reaction.

"What… what I'm trying to say is… … Keitaro-senpai… I… I…"

…

…

…

Her voice travelled loudly into the sky. A dozen birds escaped from the biggest tree, flying as far as the eye could see.

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

"WE'RE BACK!!" Haruna and Konoka beamed as they burst through the main doors of Hinata-Sou.

Mana was sitting on a comfy chair in the living room, and looked up from the book she was reading. "Welcome back." She replied.

Makie laid herself on the couch and was playing a video game on a hand held computer. She asked, "Where's Nodoka-chan and Senpai?"

Haruna looked down and was very much deep in thought. How was she going to say this without making it obvious the two were on a date?

"They're still having their date!" Konoka chirped. Haruna fell over.

"D-date? Oh." Makie replied. She lost her concentration, and an asteroid collided into her spaceship.

"Say, where are the other two?" Haruna asked.

To which Makie replied. "Well, Chisame-chan is in the kitchen brewing up something poisonous…"

"Piss off Mosquito!" Shouted Chisame.

"…and Yue-chan… is in her room."

"Hey Chisame-chan!" Konoka called out. "Do you need any help?"

"No thanks! I'm doing fine!"

An explosion was heard in the kitchen.

"Well, maybe I could do with a little assistance…"

**-0-0-**

Her eyes were strained on every page she read. She cringed the moment they returned. One thought was forever crossing her mind; why did _they _have to enter my life?

As if to make matters worse, Haruna entered her room. No knock, no 'may I come in', just an immediate opening of the door. Yue did not appreciate that in the slightest, and wished she left her door locked.

"Hiya Yue-chan! Mind if I come in?" She asked.

Yue groaned. The lunacy had begun.

Haruna walked around Yue's room with her hands behind her back. She was very fond of this room, not much for its size, but for the quantity and quality of Manga books available. Haruna bounced backwards and sat next to Yue. Yue shuffled an inch away from her. Haruna stealthily moved her head closer, so she could look at what Yue was reading.

"Oooh! That's a great read that one…!" She announced.

Yue nodded. It was a great read, and it would be an even greater read if one less person was around talking to her in her own room. Her own private room.

"The last chapter is kickass!" Haruna continued to say. "The protagonist ends up slaughtering her childhood friend with a chainsaw, and then kills the guy she was going out with by throwing a pickaxe at his throat! It really is awesome!"

Yue opened the door wide enough so she could throw Haruna out like a javelin, and Haruna's head landed with perfect flight into the wall. From this moment, all of the girls had taken notice of Yue's increased ignorance and anger. They all stopped whatever they were currently doing and walked quietly to Yue's hallway. As Mana and Chisame elected to pull Haruna out of her newly created hole, Konoka carefully opened the door. She entered Yue's room and carefully closed the door again. Makie wanted to join her, but Konoka placed a hand on her shoulder, ensuring everything will be okay. Makie put her hand over her mouth. Not once had Yue ever behaved irrationally, and that worried the pink haired girl. Naturally, the other girls were also concerned.

"Hey Yue-chan." Konoka greeted in her normal way.

Yue slowly looked up. She could see, not her, but an image of a smaller girl with chocolaty hair. Sure, she was smiling, but that was just a façade, a mask that hid her true intentions. Any girl that greeted her in a happy, chirpy sort of way would only wind up making fun of her… lest that is what Yue thought. Yue blinked and Konoka had reappeared.

"What are you reading?" Konoka asked.

To which Yue immediately replied with, "It's called 'Go Away' by Yue Ayase."

Konoka felt a little hurt and decided not to speak for the time being. Instead, she carefully inspected the books on the shelves. All of them were completely filled and displayed horizontally in numerical order. Yue had even placed a square green sticker on the ones she had finished, and seemed to have taken great caution and pride in doing so. Konoka briefly remembered Haruna's bedroom in her house. Manga books were scattered everywhere and it would take her sometimes months to find the book she wanted. Yue's room was a completely opposite contrast.

Konoka slowly pulled out a book on the top right shelf. Yue made a reaction, but it was a speechless reaction. Yue wanted to shout at her, telling Konoka to mind her own business, but she restrained herself in the end. Behind the book was a portion of a large picture. Konoka realised behind all of these books was a large school photograph. All of the children were around eight or nine years old, and they all wore their sailor school uniforms. It didn't take long for Konoka to spot young Yue. She sat on the bottom right of the school bench… seemingly far away from everyone else. Much like the present Yue, she showed no smile.

"That's me at my old junior school. Feel free to laugh." Yue said.

Konoka continued to look at the photo with mixed thoughts. _"She's so cute… …and… so lonely… …huh? What's this…?"_

At first glance, Konoka just thought the photograph was a little thick to feel. It was then she realised there were a few other photos behind that one, all bound together inside a plastic wallet. Konoka thumbed through the other photographs. One photo contained a picture of Yue aged five, and next to her was her mother, a young woman with short cyan hair. The second photo showed Yue again, but next to her this time was her grandmother, a mature looking woman with a full head of white hair. The last photo displayed Yue in the middle, sandwiched with her mother on one side and her grandmother on the other. Konoka smiled at the adorable Yue, but couldn't help wonder why there was no male role model.

"According to my grandmother, my 'father' left my mother when she was pregnant. Those were the last photos taken of me before they… …passed on…"

Konoka gulped as she put the photos away. She rubbed her eyes with her arm.

Yue began to shake, but again restrained herself as she continued talking. "…but… that happened ages ago, so… y'know… …they were involved in a car accident… these things happen… _…please airhead just leave me alone."_

"_Yue-chan…" _Konoka thought.

Konoka returned the photos to their original position. She cleared her throat and turned to face Yue.

"Um, Yue-chan, there's something on your shoulder."

Yue raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"

"I… don't know. Just stand up so I can brush it off."

Yue placed the marker in the middle of her book, though it seemed pointless to read it anyway since Haruna gave away the ending. She sighed and did as she was told. _"This better not be a trick."_

"Now lift your arms, so you look like a scarecrow."

"What?!"

"Please… just do it Yue-chan…"

Beginning to feel frustrated, Yue closed her eyes and slowly lifted her arms up. Her eyes suddenly shot open. Konoka had lowered herself to one knee and circled her arms and hands around her petit body. Yue remained in the scarecrow position.

"K-K…Konoka?! What are you doing?!" Yue stammered. She was scared, though she didn't put up any residence.

Konoka squeezed her eyes, allowing the tears to flow through her cheeks. "I'm sorry… Yue-chan I'm so sorry."

Yue didn't know how to react. She thought she could keep her old memories locked away forever… but then Yue realised she could have easily disposed of those photos. She loosed her arms and found herself hugging a girl she hated a few seconds ago.

"It happened… ages ago…" Yue whispered.

Still with tears, Konoka looked at her and smiled. "It still happened, Yue-chan… it still happened…"

At the hallway, the others could not help but overhear Yue's words. Makie and Haruna wiped their tears away with hankies. Mana and Chisame hung their heads low, unaware of Yue Ayase's hidden and painful history.

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

"…I love you." She said again, her voice a hushed whisper this time.

Keitaro was awestruck. Her confession made its mark, and it left him breathless. As Nodoka repeated her message, the sprinklers had all set off at once, scattering the garden, and themselves with many refreshing cold droplets of water. Even as they stood soaked, neither of them averted their eyes.

At long last, Keitaro replied, though he still felt very light headed. "Nodoka-chan… I… thank you. I never knew a girl as pretty as you… could ever have such feelings for me…"

Nodoka swallowed a lump in her throat. Already she could sense something negative in the air.

"…but… I'm really sorry… but… but I'm in love… with Chisame Hasegawa. I find it really difficult to describe, but she is the girl of my dreams… and I would feel unfaithful with myself if I started loving someone else. I know it's a lame reason…"

Nodoka shook her head. The bangs in her hair bounced back when she flicked her head backwards. "No… it's okay… it's not a lame reason at all. Thank you for giving me such an honest answer." She said with an eyesmile.

He felt awful. Keitaro knew what it was like to have his hopes and dreams crushed. He knew because he had them crushed many times when he was a kid.

"I'm really sorry Nodoka-chan." He said.

Keitaro hung his head in shame… only to find his chin being lifted up with a single, delicate finger. He then found his glasses being carefully removed, so his vision turned slightly blurry as a result. With Keiraro's glasses in her grasp, Nodoka leaned forward… and touched her lips against his. Keitaro was unprepared for the warm sensation entering his mind. It wasn't the sort of kiss that could set off a chain reaction of fireworks, but nonetheless, Keitaro found the feeling indescribable.

…

…

The sprinklers stopped when she released the kiss. She placed the glasses back where they belonged.

…

"Chisame-san is a very lucky person." Nodoka said softly.

Keitaro blushed from her kind words. "Nodoka-chan…"

For what seemed like forever, Keitaro and Nodoka simply looked at each other and smiled. Then Keitaro checked his watch.

"We better get a taxi home."

"Yeah."

They held hands as they re-entered the crowded city life of Tokyo. Keitaro made two quick phone calls with his mobile; one of which he asked for a taxi, the other of which he spoke to Mana on the receiving end, stating when they should get back. In the background, Keitaro could make out the voice of Haruna saying lots of fast-strung sentences together, but Mana abruptly put down the phone since she respected other people's privacy… unlike some girls.

As the two of them remained in each other's hands, nothing could stop Nodoka from smiling, even though her confession didn't go the way she planned. She felt so happy to just release her burden, especially after storing her thoughts away for such a long time. She knew this moment wouldn't last forever, but for the next twenty six minutes, Nodoka Miyazaki was Keitaro's girlfriend…

…and she would cherish every second of it.

…

…

_Author: Jake Antler and the three girls in the dream sequence are all original characters. Haruki and Yuki are two minor characters from the Negima Manga. It is also where I got the contest idea from, though the Negima one wasn't purely swimsuit orientated. I should really stop making original characters since I have enough to juggle around with as it is!_

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you later!_


	32. Thank You

_Author: First of all, this isn't the completion of the entire story. Rather, it is the end of a series, like a season or a book. I thought long and hard about this and in the end I have decided to split up this story into six separate sections. I'm doing this for two reasons. One, because I thought it would be easier to manage this way, and two, because the second section is going to be a very, VERY different contrast from the first._

_I also have a few other story ideas that I wish to upload in the foreseeable future. Don't get me wrong, I love writing this story, but working on one thing day after day can fry up your brain. It'll take a while finishing, but at least it gives me a major goal to achieve._

_Also I received an interesting message from Kildred, who wondered if I was going to bring back some of my original characters in future chapters. To tell the truth I'm not too sure. Some of the characters I made were just scapegoats for been bashed (see Domiko and Jake), and I thought it would save a lot of time to give them a name, rather than having calling them 'the bodyguard' or 'the receptionist' all the time. Bare in mind I have a load of other characters from Negima and Love Hina to assemble as well… but maybe I'll bring some of the ocs back. I feel tempted to bring back Jake just so I can bash him to bits again!_

_Now, back to the story. This chapter is more drama orientated than the others… and I guess you could say it's the chapter all of you Keitaro and Chisame fans have been waiting for…_

_(…if there are any Keitaro and Chisame fans…!)_

…

**Chapter Thirty Two - Thank You**

…

Finding another job was more challenging then she imagined. Even though she wore the best clothes and addressed the managers in the most politest of manners, she was still abruptly rejected. Chisame wondered what she was doing wrong. She looked at her curriculum vitae, bound together with a plastic wallet and folder. Not a spelling mistake was in sight and it was presented absolutely flawlessly, right down to the last word. Five pages of absolute gold dust, and they wouldn't even give her an interview.

It was the end of another unsatisfying day. After visiting nearly every shop and store in Tokyo, Chisame finally decided to call it a night. She hopped onto a late train, and since there were not many people on board, she had the luxury of a double spaced seat. She opened a purchased red box of pocky sticks and began to feverishly nibble the chocolaty biscuits, one by one. When it came to sweets and chocolate, pocky sticks were Chisame's preferred weapons of choice. They were lightweight and wafer thin so they wouldn't ruin the three important meals of the day, and they had enough sugary content to give Chisame that much needed stamina boost. Chisame re-evaluated her vitae with focused eyes. The pocky stick struggled to escape from her lips, but surrendered in the end to her rapidly munching mouth.

"_It doesn't make any sense," _Chisame thought to herself, _"I've proofread my c.v. a dozen times, so if that's not the problem, what is? Perhaps I'm addressing myself the wrong way. Maybe… I'm trying too hard? Maybe I should loosen up a little…"_

As she thought of this, Chisame carefully removed her glasses. This simple device resting on her nose made a world of difference when they were taken away. Though her sight was blurry, Chisame could still see her own reflection on the window. Her lips curved slightly as she tried to smile. For some reason she found smiling extremely difficult. She wondered why this was so. Come to think of it, Chisame could only smile properly when she was her Internet counterpart. Chisame considered untying her ponytail, but then she realised the after effects this would have. If one person would point and say 'Chiu!' out loud, then the rest of the journey would be more eventful than, say, the train being smothered in fire.

Time had passed on, and just as Chisame was about to nod off, the train stopped at her required location. Chisame yawned as she departed from the train. A few people got off at the same stop, but soon afterwards they had all scattered away from Chisame's direction. The journey to Hinata-Sou was always a peaceful one. It seemed like everyone who lived around here respected each others privacy. If only the same applied to Hinata-Sou itself.

After walking up the infinity stairway, Chisame strenuously opened the main door. The time was five minutes past seven, and the ambience was, in Chisame's mind, ordinary. Keitaro, Makie and Yue were watching a popular anime series called 'Lucky Star', whilst Mana was meditating in her room.

"_Well at least there's no 'surprise visits'." _Chisame thought. Mosquito's friends and Yue's pals sprung to mind. It was annoying enough for Mosquito to exist in the same world as her, let alone experience a regiment of nut jobs.

That moment Nodoka and Keitaro returned to Hinata-Sou, the librarian girls decided to return to their respective homes. Five days have passed by since then, though Nodoka would never forget the memories with her beloved crush. She wished an invisible presence would take a photograph of that time where she kissed him. Nodoka trembled with excitement to see what that photo would look like. Though Haruna and Konoka were sad after hearing Keitaro turn her down, they were also happy to see Nodoka in a new light. It wasn't dramatic, but it was noticeable. Nodoka had changed. Her nervousness and fear of men were steadily decreasing, day by day.

Chisame did wonder about Keitaro and Nodoka, but only briefly. The rest of her was thinking about food, then sleep.

Keitaro turned around to greet her. She looked like a zombie who waited to be smothered to death with holy water. Keitaro thought about saying something like 'welcome home Hasegawa-san, how was your day', but that would be a daft thing to say. The air around Chisame was enough to suggest that her day wasn't really all that great.

But Sir Duncealot still said it anyway.

"Welcome home Hasegawa-san, how was your day?"

Chisame looked as though she was in a trance. Her eyes emitted two frosty lasers through Keitaro's thick skull. "Just tell me what I need to hear," she replied.

"Oh, the food is in the oven."

"Thanks."

Finding it a miracle that she could keep walking, Chisame strolled into the kitchen to retrieve a plate of beef curry from the oven. She placed Keitaro's homemade cooking in the microwave and set it for two minutes on maximum strength, two minutes too long for her liking. After a single 'ding' the food was ready for eating. A few steps later and Chisame placed her hot food on the dining table, and shovelled the contents down with a spoon. When she finished, Chisame returned to the kitchen and washed up her spoon and plate. She tiredly thanked Keitaro for the dinner and walked up to her room.

The door closed behind her.

She switched on her laptop, sat down on her swivel chair and logged on to her favourite familiar website. Chisame read all of her praise with an unsure smile. She viewed herself as a goddess on the Internet, and an average Joe in the real world. A success… and a failure… just like every other day.

Time dwindled on and the clock on Chisame's laptop showed half past nine. She knew she had to go to bed soon in order to wake up and catch the early train tomorrow. As she thought of this, Chisame realised she was still in her business wear. Her pyjamas were waiting to be worn on her bed, though during the summer season, these are now replaced with an ordinary white t-shirt with matching colour shorts. She removed her smart clothes, layer by layer. A nagging thought told her the door wasn't locked, a nagging thought which was three seconds overdue… for the door had already been opened.

"Oh by the way Hasegawa-"

Keitaro stopped speaking immediately. The poor guy felt like he was trying to swallow a cannonball. Chisame was void of all clothes, except for her panties, which were oh so comfortably worn around her ankles. For Chisame, it was worse than being seen naked. For Keitaro, it was better than seeing her naked, though he would never admit that publicly, or even secretly. Both of them were statues, and it was difficult to tell who was more freaked out.

…

…

**-0-0-**

Since that fateful December night, Keitaro had seen all of the girls in exposing situations. Makie was the first victim of Keitaro's untimely encounters. Keitaro poked his head through the ceiling, only to see the pink haired girl wearing a very tight top and shorts. Yue was the second when Keitaro opened the bathroom door, only to see her waiting for mother nature's release. On the quest to save Sayo from turmoil, Keitaro managed to catch a moment of Mana bathing herself. On more than a few occasions, he had seen all of their exposed forms in the hot springs…

…but even this grand total… wasn't enough to surpass the number of times Keitaro had caught Chisame unaware, and more often than not, semi-naked, virtually naked or completely naked.

"Hasegawa-san I'm-"

"Don't say it!"

"But…"

"Don't!"

"…"

"…"

"I'm…"

"Unless you want to look like a panda, zip it!"

Keitaro, already being the victim of one black eye, swallowed a lump in his throat and said no more. Satisfied with her successful warning, Chisame resumed eating her bowl of frosted flakes. The only other resident eating on the table was Mana. She kept to herself as she took slow mouthfuls of her buttered toast. The other two girls, Yue and Makie, had stayed up until two watching Animes yesterday, so they were still tucked into their beds.

"Mana, can you pass the sugar please?" Chisame asked.

Mana nodded and offered her the jar with the sparkling white contents.

"Ta."

Mana kept a watchful eye on Chisame. Not only she poured half the jar into her mug of extra caffeinated coffee, but she poured the rest on top of her cereal. No ordinary teeth could withstand that kind of assault.

There was a moment of silence until Chisame glanced upwards from her bowl, and gave Keitaro a serious look. "So… last night. What is it you wanted? _I assume you didn't come upstairs just to see me naked."_

It took Keitaro a few seconds to register himself. "Huh? Oh yeah!" he replied at last. He fumbled around in his trouser pocket and unravelled an advertisement he tore off from yesterdays newspaper. Wearily, Keitaro handed the ad over to Chisame. Chisame adjusted her glasses and carefully read the fine details.

"It's a fairly new restaurant in Tokyo, called 'Chao Bao Zi,'" Keitaro explained, "they're looking for an extra waitress, and, well… uh, I thought you might be…"

"Me? In a waitress outfit?" Chisame read aloud, "Are you serious?!"

Keitaro frantically stumbled for some words to say, but his mind was hijacked by a dream sequence. The background suddenly changed to a pink wallpaper with glistening bubbles floating upwards. Chisame was wearing a maiden costume with contrasting rose and red colours. She turned around in sparkling slow motion, and this time her hair was untied, allowing it to flow gracefully like shiny silk. Dream Chisame then removed her glasses and addressed Keitaro with a Konoka-sized eyesmile.

"So what do you think, manager-san?" Chisame asked, which followed by a giggle afterwards.

Keitaro smiled as though in a daze. "Hasegawa-san…"

"Manager-san…"

"Hasegawa-san…"

"MANAGER-SAN!"

Keitaro was brought back to reality when Chisame's hand struck the table. Chisame spoke again when she managed to capture his attention.

"Anyway, as I was saying, what makes you think I'm capable of such a job?" Chisame argued, "In case you wondered for the last six months, I'm not exactly the sociable type."

Keitaro was about to apologise when Mana gained control of the argument. She took a small sip of her tea before talking. "Hasegawa-san, just out of interest, what sort of jobs have you previously applied for?"

Chisame counted the places with her fingers. "Well, there's that western place, Electronics Boutique, Game, Hardware Electrodes, Software Haven…"

"How about places that are _not _computer related?"

"Ah… well…"

"…"

"Look! Software and computers are the only two things I'm good at!" Chisame replied, frustration growing in her voice.

"Then maybe it's time to broaden your horizons," Mana suggested, "they say a mercenary will perform any job, so long as the pay is acceptable."

Chisame counted with, "They say a _prostitute _will perform any job if the pay is acceptable, but I don't really want something that involves shooting people, or sleeping with them!"

Chisame. Prostitute. Keitaro fell into another dream sequence.

She glanced at her wristwatch. The time caused her to eat her cereal in a rapid rate. When she emptied the bowl, Chisame rose from her seat.

"Damn it! This is what I get for arguing with you two!" she complained. Chisame collected her belongings and slung the jacket over her smart clothes. Without another word she slammed the door shut.

Mana put her cup of tea down. "Perhaps the mercenary reference was an unsuitable one?"

"Um, maybe." Keitaro scratched his head and replied.

Mana blew into her cup to cool it down some more.

"What about your job?" she asked.

Keitaro froze for two seconds before flying out of the house like a possessed chicken.

"Moron." Mana said softly and smiled.

…

…

…

The day broke nicely between morning and noon. Yue and Makie finally awoken, though they were still in their bed wear. Mana performed her usual rituals outside the hot springs. Keitaro had frantically apologised to all of his impatiently waiting customers, but after the first few minutes of awkwardness, Keitaro was performing his regular work duties, just like every other day. As he opened the till for the umpteenth customer, he briefly wondered what work life would be like if Chisame accompanied him. That vision of the waitress cropped into his head again. What possessed him to even think Chisame would like that kind of position? Perhaps a part of him wanted Chisame to 'open up' a bit more, but on the other hand, that was strictly none of his business. In fact, Keitaro could picture Chisame saying those exact words to him.

"I'm such an idiot." he said to himself.

…

…

**-0-0-**

"Rejected." the manager said. He slammed the door, quite literally in her face.

Chisame couldn't believe the audacity of some people. She sagged her shoulders and sighed. The first hour was already a spectacular failure. Was it going to be like this for the rest of the day? She retreated to a nearby park to sit on a lonesome bench… and to release all of her upbeat personality.

"_I knew I should of had more rest." _she grumbled.

She was about to retrieve a pocky stick from her jacket pocket, but remembered she was out of chocolaty ammunition. Instead she picked up the advertisement Keitaro gave to her. The piece of paper fluttered with the wind, only maintained by her thumb and finger.

It started to rain. Not heavily, but unexpectedly.

Chisame sighed as a rogue part of spring took over. She took note of the advertisement address, rose from the bench and ran through rows of crowded people. Despite the seemingly accurate address, Chisame still managed to get lost. Fortunately, the middle-aged man she asked directions for proved to be very helpful. In fact, the sheer mention of the words 'Chao Bao Zi' caused a few strangers to unconsciously turn their heads. Wherever this restaurant was located, it certainly proved to be very popular.

She found it at last, and conveniently enough, the rain had soon disappeared. The sky turned into a bright blue, and a faint rainbow replaced the departing dark clouds. Chao Bao Zi was twice as large as Chisame expected. The restaurant was displayed in a authentic and elaborate layout. The roof was thatched together using woven straw, and was firm enough to repel the strongest of storms. The shell of the building mostly consisted of red bricks, with a large double door and larger windows on the left and right side. Below the thatched roof showed the Chao Bao Zi words in a jazzy styled white font. Shown between the double door and the left window was a big cardboard cut-out of Chao Lingshen; the manager of Chao Bao Zi. The stationary Chao wore a beautiful kimono and had her right hand raised, as if beckoning people to come inside. Chisame showed a bemused smile. She hadn't even walked in and already she felt welcome.

Come to think of it, nobody had walked in yet. Chisame inspected the opening hours shown on the door. Just her luck. The place didn't open until noon, and her watch had just beeped for eleven. Even so, Chisame did hear a mild commotion through the door, proof there were at least a few people inside. Okay, so Chisame was earlier than expected… but was that such a bad thing? Heck, if she was allowed to come in, maybe they could see her eagerness to apply for the job. It all seemed very promising, but Chisame reminded herself of the position. Whatever restaurant she ventured into, a waitress was still a waitress. That meant, most of her time, she would have to interact with (shudder) people.

As she tried to make sense of the situation… a girl bumped into her.

Chisame flinched and took a step back. The girl in question was nearly the same in height and figure, but otherwise her appearance couldn't be more different. Her dark chocolate hair was very short, emitting a kind of tomboyish appeal. She wore a stylish green vest with a black Japanese symbol shown on its front, a pair of ankle length blue jeans and a pair of white trainers with snazzy red markings. Just hanging above her cleavage was a gold plated necklace. Her eyes were… closed…

"Mmmm-mhhmmemmer."

Completely shocking Chisame to no end, she was now massaging the redhead's breasts, slowly and firmly.

"Um, hello? What the hell are you doing?!" Chisame replied, very close to calling the mental institution with her mobile phone.

Upon hearing her voice, the tomboy blinked and her expression showed her surprised brown eyes. Distrusting of strangers, Chisame thought this was all just an act, but the short haired girl did genuinely show she was sorry.

"Huh…? Hmm… HUH?! Omigosh! That's the fourth time that's happened this week! Please… please excuse me!" she explained in desperation.

"Um… no problem…" Chisame said.

The tomboy then narrowed her eyes as she gave Chisame a stern look. Chisame flinched again. _"What does she want now?"_

"Hey, you here for the interview?" she asked, her demeanour becoming a relaxing one.

For Chisame, that question was an equation written in hieroglyphics. The tomboy felt tempted to wave a hand across her face when at last Chisame answered.

"Yeah." she finally said with a nod.

"Cool! Follow me! Ah… oh by the way, I'm Madoka."

"Chisame Hasegawa."

After that odd bout of weirdness, Chisame realised there was a relaxed, and at the same time, rebellious air around Madoka. Her voice was somewhat lower and huskier then most girls, which alone could attract guys twice her age. Her age, judging from appearance, looked between eighteen and twenty.

Madoka fished a small key from her pocket, and with it unlocked the double doors so she could push them wide open. Chisame took a deep breath and walked in with Madoka.

When Chisame exhaled, all of her confidence she had built up… was diminished in less than a second. Madoka was quite surprised to see the spectacle, but nowhere near as surprised as Chisame.

Chao Lingshen, Satsuki Yotsuba and Ku Fei stood in superior stances, with their hands pressed firmly on their hips. All of them were dressed up in chef's outfits. They didn't wear chef hats, but they did wear masks of devilishly twisted smiles. In the top right corner of the room were two other girls, dressed in casual wear. Begging pathetically in the centre of the room were Keitaro's irregular friends; Haitani and Shirai.

Chao Lingshen was the first to change her posture, cracking her knuckles when she did so.

"You two have some nerve showing up again," Chao grinned, "didn't we ban you twice already?"

Satsuki made a nodding sound in agreement. "Once for trying to look up skirts, and twice for 'accidentally' tripping over and falling on my breasts!"

"_That second one took hours of planning!" _whimpered Haitani.

"Not forget those two wanted to see me naked when I deliver food to them!" pitched in Ku Fei.

"Woah! Hold on! That was Haitani that said that! Not me! I'm… I'm not interested in your body!" Shirai wailed.

Ku Fei cried crocodile tears. "Sniff! You saying my body is not worthy?"

Shirai knew he should have kept quiet. "Uuuuh…"

Chao narrowed her eyes whilst still smiling. "So what do you two want?"

Still in the kneeling position, Haitani and Shirai lowered their heads so their noses would touch the floor.

"We… WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS!!" they shouted out.

Chao could not believe their audacity. "You must be joking?!"

"We'll work on the minimalist wage possible!" pleaded Shirai.

"No! We can do one better!" begged Haitani, "We can even give you money!"

"What?!"

"Shhh!" hushed Haitani, "You'll blow our cover!"

Satomi, wacky genius and valued member of Chao Bao Zi, had burst from the kitchen into the main room. She was carrying with her a white coloured laptop which she opened immediately. When she opened her laptop, a whole range of wild gadgetry appeared, like some kind of pseudo pop-up book.

"Listen to this!" she said in panic, receiving everyone's attention, "According to my sources and calculations, Bowling for Beef has hired two spies to infiltrate other restaurants in order to steal their recipes!"

The attention was redirected back to Haitani and Shirai. With their secrets out in the open, the two bumbling idiots wished they were someplace safer... like, say, inside an angry volcano. The grins of the girls were even more malicious than before.

"Have mercy please!"

"We were only doing what we were told to do!"

Mercy was not in Ku Fei's vocabulary. With a repeat performance, the Chinese warrior unleashed a devastating blast from the palm of her hand, causing Haitani and Shirai to fly through the roof, and creating two human sized holes in the process.

Chisame looked at Madoka. She expected her to be a little surprised at the insanity, but instead Madoka was almost unaffected by it… as if she was used to this kind of thing. Now all heads turned around to face Chisame, Madoka included. Their faces were pitch black, and their eyes and wide smiles were all glowing white.

"**J**_**o**_**I**_**n**_** u**_**S **_**cH**_**i**_**Sa**_**M**_**e…" **Madoka droned in a zombie-like fashion, **"…B**_**e**_**cO**_**m**_**E… o**_**N**_**e… **_**O**_**f… U**_**S**_**…"**

The rest of the girls chanted, waving their arms around like ancient mummies. **"O**_**n**_**E… **_**o**_**F… u**_**S**_**…"**

Chisame screamed and ran away faster than a one hundred metre record holder. Her uncharted sprint did not go very far, for she tripped over a crack on the pavement and landed face first with a smack. This stoppage of speed allowed Chao and Madoka to catch up.

Chisame started to panic. "L-Leave me alone you crazies!"

"Chisame-san! We're really sorry," Madoka apologised, "it's just that those two keep showing up, and they're driving us insane!"

Still worried, Chisame turned to face Chao and Madoka, noting their faces now retained their normal persona. Chisame concluded that she may have overreacted just a touch, but living in Hinata-Sou for over six months was enough insanity as it is. She didn't want this sort of madness twenty four-seven.

"You're here for the interview, right?" Chao asked.

Chisame weakly nodded her head. The poor girl had turned to jelly, and Chao and Madoka had to escort Chisame by lifting her arms over their shoulders.

"Alrighty! Let's go!" Madoka and Chao said, walking back to their beloved restaurant.

Chisame's eyes were in narrow slits, and waterfalls were emitting from them. _"I'm… I'm so confused…!"_

**-0-0-**

The restaurant was divided into six rooms.

The main room is where all the magic happens. The floor was of a white and red chequered design, and the wallpaper was coloured a lush shade of lilac. On the walls themselves were decorated with framed photos; pictures of what Chinese life was like centuries ago. The tables and chairs were placed in a way to ensure that every customer would have their privacy, although to tell the truth, many customers wanted to interact with the staff as much as they could. On the leftmost side of the room was the bar, available to the adults, who would only wish for a quick drink and a snack at lunch before going back to their working schedule.

On the top left corner was the door leading to the kitchen. Satsuki, Satomi, Ku Fei, and sometimes Chao all work there. Though Satsuki mainly specialised with the cooking, the others helped out with all the preparations. All the necessary ingredients and cooking apparatus were displayed and ready for using.

On the top, near centre of the room were two bathroom wooden doors, obviously leading to the male and female bathrooms. Chao remembered the time where Haitani ventured into the wrong door. She remembered because she was in the bathroom at the time. Haitani learned his lesson after a she perfected a rapid blossom fire kick in his face.

The last two doors were shown on the top right corner, and were available to staff members only. The first one lead to the changing room, and the other was Chao's personal managerial room. Currently, Chisame and Chao were sitting down in this room. A polished wooden desk was all that separated them, making the interview seem very personal. Chisame remembered her first meeting when she applied for Star Rock Enterprises. Three deadpan members of staff, all dressed to the nines with their business wear, had all tried to pressurise her with many extremely difficult questions, but Chisame showed great confidence, and answered all of them in a professional and accurate manner.

Chao, however, was different. One very long minute passed by, and Chao hadn't said a word. Chisame swallowed a tiny lump in her throat. She loathed to admit it, but Chao was making her nervous. Chao's stare could incinerate right through Chisame's glasses. Chisame thought, was this an interview, or a staring contest?

Chisame cleared her throat, "Oh, I'm sorry, I almost forgot." she said, and handed Chao her vitae.

Chao accepted the sheets of paper and placed it on her side of the desk. She silently read the first three sections on Chisame's vitae; her name, her date of birth and her hobbies and interests. That was all she needed to know. After reading this information, Chao brought her arms up high before stretching them in a sideways fashion.

"There's an extra maiden outfit in the dressing room." she said.

The shock was so strong it caused Chisame to stand up from her chair. "You… you mean…?!"

"Woah, not yet!" Chao replied in laughter, "Consider this a trial run. You start at noon, and finish at ten. There will be two fifteen minute breaks in between. You will be paid 1200 yen per hour, and this pay is inclusive during your trial. Any questions?"

Chisame was dumbstruck. Literally dumbstruck.

"Good. Be sure to get ready in five minutes, so we can greet you with the rest of the crew!"

Chisame took a worried step back, unaware the chair was right behind her. She nearly toppled backwards on contact.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Chop, chop!" Chao said, clapping her hands twice when she finished speaking.

"R-right!" Chisame replied, and did exactly what she was ordered.

No backtalk, no messing around, no arguing. Chisame contemplated Chao's way of doing things as she visiting the changing rooms. Her heart was pounding like an automatic cannon.

…

They were like bees to a pot of honey.

Even though Chao Bao Zi wasn't officially open, many people paced up and down in the sheer hope their favourite restaurant would open a few minutes early. Some of them were famished, but even though there were plenty of other restaurants around, their ambience was nowhere near as satisfying. For some, it was a Friday treat. For others, it was the perfect checkpoint after a stressful morning's work.

…

Chisame was used to dressing into maiden outfits, she had her Chiu persona to thank for that. Even so… the thought of she, _Chisame _wearing such clothes made her shiver to the bone. Chisame's face and Chiu's clothing was an aliening combination. Of course, she left her glasses and ponytail on to keep the identity a secret. She examined her outfit in the mirror. The main base of the outfit was somewhere between red and pink, like a kind of rosy colour. The high heels she wore were a glittery blue, and amazingly enough, had fit her perfectly. Try as hard as she might, Chisame could not spot a single fault to criticise. In fact, she felt envious such an outfit wasn't stashed away in her wardrobe.

The dressing room door slowly opened, and Chisame walked into the main room. To her left stood Chao, dressed and ready in a chef's outfit. To her right stood Satsuki, Satomi and Ku Fei, wearing clothes identical to the manager. A few metres directly in front of her were Madoka and two other girls, all of them wearing matching maiden outfits.

Chao wasted no time in introductions.

"Chisame-san, these are the girls you'll be working with. I… trust you've already met Madoka-chan, right?"

"Yeah," Chisame replied, "she has an… unusual way with greetings…"

The two girls next to Madoka started to giggle. Madoka rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

Satsuki made a nervous smile, "She didn't do the sleeping boob-massage thing, did she?"

Chisame made a sideways glance at the chef called Satsuki and nodded. _"Is that what they call it?"_

The girl in the middle couldn't wait to be introduced, so she introduced herself. "Hiya! I'm Sakurako!" she chirped, tilting her head with a wide open smile.

Sakurako was easily the cutest of the bunch, and that was saying something since all the girls were cute in their own right. She had hazel eyes and her hair, a shade lighter than Chisame's was tied up in a very unique fashion. Two big tufts of hair poked identically to the left and right of her head, and she also had two thin braided ponytails, shown diagonally on the bottom. It was quite a style, one that Chisame had never seen before.

"Hey." Chisame replied. Compared to Sakurako, her personality couldn't be more opposite.

"Try not to get her talking about cats," Chao said with a grin, "she has an obsession with them!"

"Nya ha ha!" Sakurako laughed with an eyesmile.

Chao then introduced the waitress on the right. "This is the lovely Misa Kakizaki!"

Misa could be described as the most feminine of the three. Her skin was slightly pale and her lavender eyes could make any male stop dead in their tracks, regardless of age or martial status. Her flowing hair was a rich purple colour, and reached down to her thighs in length. Her hair was only occupied with a single bronze clip, shown faintly above her hazel eyes. Her personality appeared innocent and quiet, though secretly she was just as wild as everyone else.

"Pleased to meet you!" Misa said with a quick bow.

"H-hi." replied Chisame.

Chisame looked at them all with an uncertain smile, though maybe that uncertain smile was reserved for the apocalypse to follow.

After greeting the waitresses, Chao gestured Chisame's attention to the three girls standing beside the kitchen door; Satsuki, Satomi and Ku Fei.

"This is Satsuki Yotsuba," Chao said, "quite literally the greatest chef there is in Tokyo!"

Satsuki looked to one side and felt slightly embarrassed. "Oh come on! I wouldn't go that far!"

Chao then leaned towards Chisame and whispered into her ear. "If you have any problems with anything, I'd advise asking her."

When she finished whispering, the manager coughed politely before continuing the conversation.

"I Ku Fei!" Ku Fei abruptly shouted, raising her hand like an excited school girl.

Chao sagged her shoulders and her drooped hands nearly touched the floor. She felt it was her duty to introduce the girls. Then again Ku Fei was like that.

Chisame turned around to greet the two girls, "Pleased to meet you Satsuki-san, Fei-san… um, you did pretty well in that tournament…"

Chisame suddenly realised Chao had taken part in the tourney as well.

"…ah, and you too, Chao-san."

Chisame felt a bead of sweat run through her face. She didn't want to suck up to them, especially before she began work. The words just came out by themselves.

"Appreciated," Chao thanked, "although we do tend to forget what happened afterwards…"

"How you not forget?" Ku Fei butted in, "We were nearly naked! We ran all way to city to buy replacement clothes!"

Madoka, Sakurako and Misa were all smiling nervously, but so God help them, resisted the urge to laugh out loud. Although the three girls had ventured Toudai Festival, they did not watch the fighting tournament. However, after the festival finished, Madoka learned what really happened after glancing on the front cover of a newspaper, displayed at a local newsagent. She could never forget the title, for it read: 'PSYCHO CHINESE NAKED CHICKS RUN AMOK IN TOKYO,' and below were Chao and Ku Fei in all their near naked glory, running whilst covering their shame at the same time.

Chao resisted the urge to leave an indented footprint on the wall, and instead decided to clear her throat very loudly. "A-HEM! So yes, Ku Fei is our first assistant chef, and our second assistant chef is Satomi Hakase…"

Chao placed a finger on her lips as she realised something.

"…oh yeah! Be sure to check out her webpage! It's called 'Sai-chan!' Chao added with a laugh.

Satomi blushed and waved her hands around. "Waaagh! Don't go telling her about that!"

"_So she's a net idol too." _mused Chisame.

Then there was silence. The time for introductions were over. Chisame gulped. She could hear them; beasts impatiently waiting to burst into the restaurant. Fear. That is what Chisame felt. Cold, nerve-wrecking _fear_.

Chao checked on her watch and grinned. "Well, we seem to be five minutes early, but what the hell!"

With that, she flipped the closed/open sign on the windowed door, unbolted the locks and let the first wave of customers pour themselves into the room.

Chao waved her arms with elegance. "Welcome to Chao Bao Zi everyone! I hope your stay will be a pleasant one!"

Madoka, Sakurako and Misa altogether dragged Chisame so she was a few metres away from the main door.

"Come on Chisame-chan!" Sakurako chirped, beaming with bright energy.

"Since it's your first day, it's your duty to introduce yourselves to the customers!" Madoka added, grinning a mischievous grin.

"Don't be shy!" said Misa, winking with an open smile.

The first customer met eye to eye with Chisame. This customer was new to Chao Bao Zi. He was a middle aged guy, averaged size and had a short cut hairstyle. He stared at her curiously, as if he was waiting for her to introduce him. Chisame at once stood to attention. Bow and greet. Chisame remembered the formal introduction; bow lowly and say 'welcome to Chao Bao Zi'.

"W-welcome to Bao Zi Chao!" Chisame stuttered.

Her eyes widened. She forgot to bow. Now was the time to bow.

Unfortunately, that thought didn't register into her brain. Instead, she took one giant step forward and head-butted the guy. Zinedine Zidane style.

…

…

**-0-0-**

Dressed in t-shirt and shorts, Mana explored the shops and the markets as she ventured outside. Realising she finished her training earlier than expected, the amazon decided a change of pace was in order. Already she was carrying two bags of heavy shopping, but like always Mana made the task seem effortless.

Makie decided to take advantage of the sunshine and invited her friends over to Hinata-Sou. After Ako's and Yuna's short journey, the three pals were united once again. Yuna and Ako were happily frolicking about in the hot springs, with Yuna doing most of the splashing and Ako trying to dodge Yuna's water attacks. Yue enjoyed the quiet life. She rested against a large tree and was entertaining herself with Makie's Nintendo DS. She was playing an online card game called 'Yugioh Spirit Caller', and seemed to be doing pretty well considering she was new to the gaming world. Makie however, was doing something very… un-Makie-like. She sat cross-legged with a pink book resting snugly on her thighs. Double blank pages were staring at her, as if waiting to be written on. Makie twirled her pen numerous times, but couldn't think of anything. Unfortunately she was so absorbed in her book that she was completely unaware of Yuna and Ako appearing behind her. Both of them had emerged from the waters, and, with towels around themselves, wondered what the princess in pink was up to. Yuna had a curious smile and Ako put a finger on her lips.

"Watcha doing? Studying?" Yuna asked, "I mean we've already finished the entrance exams."

Unaware she had company, Makie gasped and slammed the book shut… the worst mistake she had ever made.

"D-Diary?" Ako said. Sure enough, 'Makie's Diary' was written on the front cover, in bold ink no less.

Yuna's lightning reflexes did not let her down. She swiped the book and started to flip through every attended page.

"…'Senpai can be so dreamy sometimes'…" Yuna read aloud, "Omigosh! This stuff is gold!"

Makie bounced up and down like a desperate child. "Yuna-chan! Give that back!"

"Whoops!" sniggered Yuna, "Hey Ako-chan! Catch!"

"Huh? I don't want it!" Ako protested, even as the diary sailed into her hands.

"Ako-chan! Give it back!" Makie wailed.

For some reason, Ako started to panic. Instead of say, just giving the diary to her normally, she instead threw the book randomly into the air. After it remained airborne for a few seconds, Yue successfully caught Makie's diary. With her face.

"Waaagh! I'm so sorry Yue-chan!" Ako said with multiple bows.

Yue remained motionless as the open diary peeled itself from her face. With a gentle 'plop' the book landed on her lap, replacing the DS with an interesting middle paged picture. Makie wasn't an exceptional drawer, but the message was loud and clear. It showed a picture of Makie and Senpai exchanging mouths and tongues. Yue's eyes widened a little. This was almost as good as one of her favourite comic books. Her hand carefully got ready to turn the next page… but Makie reacquired it just in time. Now, Makie wrapped both her arms around it, to ensure nobody would pry the book out of her extra tight grip.

"So Yue-chan, on a scale of one to five, how much do you think Makie-chan likes Senpai?" Yuna asked, further taunting an increasingly angry Makie.

Back to playing the DS, Yue raised her arm with an open hand.

"Five! See? Even Yue-chan thinks you have the hots for him!" Yuna exclaimed.

"I DO NOT!!" shouted Makie, _"Well maybe a little."_

"And what about Ako-chan?" Yuna asked again. Yue responded with the same hand motion.

"F-F-Five?!" Ako gibbered, "No way!"

Makie 'hmphed' and placed her hands on her hips. "And what about Yuna-chan?"

Yue repeated the hand motion.

"What?! As if!" Yuna said in disbelief, "It's not like I blush wildly whenever I'm near him!"

Yue spoke for the first time today, "There are many different ways in which people like other people. Not blushing means you keep your emotions more secretive… but that does not change the fact that you still have feelings for him."

Yuna's mouth hung agape as she tried to make sense of what the blunette was saying. In the end she shook her head and decided not to bother. "Oh yeah? Well… how would _you _rate him?" she asked Yue.

Yue paused for a bit… before showing Yuna three fingers.

"Liar!" Yuna shouted.

Yue promptly cleared her throat and resumed playing on the DS.

…

…

**-0-0-**

The ambience of customers and waitresses pacing back and forth were muffled inside Chao's staff room. At the moment she was talking through a cordless phone.

"He's still unconscious, but his head injuries are only minor?" Chao repeated what the doctor told her, "Well… I guess that's a relief, thanks for the details."

She placed the phone back into the receiver.

"That Chisame. She really is something."

Meanwhile, the restaurant was filled with all kinds of madness and mayhem, most of it caused by the new recruit, Chisame Hasegawa. She certainly looked the part, but acting the part was a different kettle of fish. She lost count of the times she had broken cups and saucers. Things didn't improve when a naughty little boy dropped a toy car in the middle of the room. The moment Chisame stepped on it, she skidded straight into a man double her age, and landed her face straight into his crouch. Chisame frantically apologised but the guy waved her off, saying it was no big deal (it was probably the best bit of action he had all his life).

As four hours ticked by, Chisame had steadily begun to improve, thanks to the encouragement of Madoka, Sakurako and Misa. Chisame was also amazed at her own determination not to quit. She felt tempted to storm out of the restaurant, but where would that lead her? Would it take her back to square one, where she would be refused positions despite being overqualified for them? How long would it take to find another job? She shook her head and negated these thoughts. Chisame had a job. Although it was for only one day, it was still a job. For her sake, and for Keitaro's sake, Chisame wasn't going to give up. As long as she remembered to smile, bow and perform all her duties with elegance, Chisame would struggle through the rest of the day.

At last there was a quiet spell. There were still a lot of customers, but they were satisfied since they had everything they needed.

Chisame's cheeks were all red and puffed out. She hadn't realised how much stamina she used up until she stopped walking. Madoka shot a glance at the redhead. She was behind the bar, her favourite and preferred position of work. The tomboy made herself a small drink of sake, and made sure the boss wasn't around before downing the glass in one.

"Yo! Chisame-chan!" Madoka called out and waved. Chisame turned around and stopped a glass of coke from crashing at the other end of the bar. "For you!"

"Thanks!" Chisame replied. She looked at the coke, sparkling and fizzing inside the glass. It was so refreshing to drink after working so hard.

But the day was still young, when Chisame saw more customers arrive earlier than she hoped for. Haruki and Yuki entered the restaurant wearing their adorable summer outings. They spent most of the day doing homework inside the Tokyo Library, and needed some food to sustain themselves from working too much. Actually, this is the fourth time they visited Chao Bao Zi this month, and the girls were well aware of the cute couple.

Misa was the one to approach them. "Hiya cuties!" she said and ruffled their heads.

"Hey! Cut that out!" shouted Haruki, "I'm not a kid you know! I'm ten years old!"

Misa ruffled their heads even faster. "So cuuuuute!"

"Quit it!"

The two youngsters were escorted to their favourite two seated table, and Misa politely asked for their starting orders.

"Strawberry milkshake please!" Haruki and Yuki said. Their timing couldn't be more perfect and Misa resisted the urge to ruffle their heads for a third time.

"Coming right up!" Misa answered with a wink.

The purple haired beauty gracefully walked by the bar and whispered something in Madoka's ear. Madoka tittered and did as Misa asked. A couple of minutes later and Misa returned to the table with a gigantic heart-shaped glass of strawberry milkshake, with two extra long silly straws placed on either side. She put the drink down delicately in the centre. Yuki's mouth trembled as she tried to contemplate this lovingly prepared drink.

"Hey! We didn't order this!" Haruki complained.

"I know, but _I _did!" Misa replied happily, "Now you two lovers enjoy your milkshake!"

Misa left the two confused children alone. With reluctance they drank from their straws, and their faces flushed a deep red.

Chisame finished her glass and witnessed the scene. _"Heh… I almost feel sorry for those two."_

"You are so wicked!" Madoka laughed lightly. Misa replied with a victory sign.

With the customer commotion dying down, Chisame overheard a few words exchanged between Misa and Madoka. She learned Misa was the only one of the three to have a boyfriend, although she admitted their relationship was somewhat shaky. More often than not, the two of them would engage in heated arguments, usually caused by something petty and irrelevant on his behalf. Misa continued speaking her thoughts to her friend, wondering if she should just dump the guy or give him another couple of weeks to see where things go.

This made Chisame think about her life. She was twenty years old, her birthday long passed since the beginning of February. She never bothered telling the residents when her birthday was, and that was exactly what she wanted. People bothered her enough without the need to further embarrass her with a pointless celebration. Of course, she received a tsunami of praise as the Internet idol… and it was this kind of praise that made her day.

She drummed her fingers on the bar and began to think about… guys. Chisame figured Madoka, Sakurako and Misa have probably been flirting with guys ever since they reached their teen years… whereas Chisame hadn't made any contact with species of the male variety. She just wanted a financially stable life with a fast speed Internet connection to escape from. Now… by some weird twisted act of God… Chisame was here; a restaurant filled with some of the most interesting people she has ever seen.

The sound of the double door opening had alerted all four waitresses. They all faced the entrance and their eyes feasted on the new customers, though in all actuality, these customers were perhaps the more regular and favoured ones compared to the others. Four men with various ages entered the restaurant. All of them wore business suits which consisted of a dark grey suit, a white shirt and a red tie.

The front man of the group seemed to have been fixated with a permanent smile. Okazi was his name; a very kind hearted guy with closed eyes and a boyish charm. He was bald, and the outer ring of his hair was black with a few strands of grey. For a man in his sixties, Okazi was as durable as anyone twenty years younger than him. He was quite short as well, just reaching five foot five.

With Okazi were two very loyal associates of his, both of them in their mid-thirties and with professional short trimmed hairstyles. One was six foot, the other six foot one. Though they never spoke as much as Okazi, they still had a pleasant air around them.

Behind these three was the last man of the group. Ryou was his name and he was the baby of the four, despite being in his late twenties. His rich black hair was long enough to completely cover his ears, and his brown eyes showed nervousness, because this was only his third experience in Chao Bao Zi. He was quite shy of girls, particularly teenage ones.

With a bright and open eyesmile, Sakurako jogged over to the old man and greeted him in the most lovingly way imaginable. Chisame was amazed with her forwardness. "Good afternoon, Okazi-nya!"

"Oh ho! Good afternoon, Sakurako-nya!" Okazi returned the greeting.

Sakurako wasted no time in escorting the four businessmen to their table. It was a table Okazi always reserved in advance; a four seated one placed in the middle right of the restaurant. Madoka immediately poured out four different glasses, since she memorised what they had by heart. Misa carried the tray with drinks over to them. The businessmen sipped into the froths of their beverages, a much needed drink to tantalise their taste palette. After reducing their drinks to a quarter, Sakurako arrived with four menus to which she handed to each guy.

"Psst! Hey Sakurako-nya!" Okazi whispered, "Who's that girl over there?"

"Oh her?" Sakurako replied, "That's Chisame-nya! She's our new waitress!"

"Ooooh… can you bring her over?"

"Sure!"

Sakurako strolled over to where Chisame was and whispered some words into her ear. Chisame found herself hard of breathing.

"Why?!" Chisame asked with a desperate whisper.

"They just want to see you-nya!" Sakurako replied, still retaining her happiness, "Come on! Don't be shy!"

Chisame cleared her throat before hesitatingly walking over where Okazi and the others sat. Okazi beamed with a very bright smile.

"C-Can I help you?" Chisame asked.

With his eyes in permanent slits, Okazi examined the new girl thoroughly. He appeared deep in thought. "Hmm… let's see… we have the angelic girl, the sassy girl and the cute girl… but who could this girl be?"

"Hmm… ah! I got it!" the second businessman said, "How about… the moé girl?"

"_Moé girl?!" _thought Chisame. Chisame has been called many things, but never once was she labelled as a moé.

"OH HO! THAT'S PERFECT! SHE CAN BE THE MOÉ GIRL!" declared Okazi. Already Okazi seemed to be quite merry.

Okazi then gestured Chisame to move a little closer so he could whisper something loud enough for only the table to hear.

"Pssst! Hey, how old are you?"

"Um, twenty."

"TWENTY?! OH HO! You hear that, Ryou-kun? She's only nine years younger than you! Not like those schoolgirls you fawn over!"

The other two businessmen roared with laughter whilst Ryou had an angry look about him. His face was redder than a baboon's butt. "Damn it! Can you stop trying to hook me up with every girl you see?!" Ryou said.

Okazi whispered again, "Ryou-kun is a little on the edgy side. You know, time of the season and all…"

"I HEARD THAT!!" shouted Ryou.

The four had all selected their chosen meals, and Chisame, small notepad in hand, jotted it all down with haste. Her mind was frantic with all sorts of emotions, and dared not meet eye to eye with Ryota in case she would turn red as well. With the information listed, Chisame walked over to the kitchen door and opened it. She repeated the list to Satomi, who nodded straight away.

Although Okazi and the others waited over fifteen minutes for their food, it was worth every second waiting for. Master Chef Yotsuba made sure everything was perfectly prepared and piping hot. There was a great sound of appreciation when Chisame displayed their food in front of them. Chisame tried not to inhale the smells since chances are she would become hungry from the heavenly fumes. She always enjoyed Keitaro's and Mana's cooking… but Satsuki was in another league altogether.

Ryou wasted no time in tucking into his western meal; a gourmet beef burger with melted cheese and mushrooms. As he took another bite, his eyes looked upwards and noticed Madoka wiping the bar with a cloth. By chance Madoka noticed him staring at her, and decided to tease the guy a bit by winking at him. Ryou turned red again and started choking on his food. Madoka giggled to herself, but suddenly felt an icy grip take hold of her heart. Madoka didn't notice Chao walking in the restaurant, and the Chinese girl was giving her one hell of a death glare. Seducing fellow customers was strictly prohibited, and Madoka carrying her second glass of sake didn't help matters either.

After Okazi's arrival, it had become busy, but not that busy. More people ventured inside, but they were just after a quick snack and a drink, and then they would leave in a satisfied manner. Chisame approached every filled table and asked the customers if they were satisfied with their food and drink. All of them answered yes much to Chisame's liking. Chisame smiled. She would never admit it aloud, but she was, truth be told, enjoying herself. Just a little bit.

Chao called out to Sakurako before escorting Madoka to her office, "Hey Sakurako-chan! Can you take over the bar? I'm just going to have a few words with Madoka-chan!"

"Okay!" Sakurako replied, following the manager's orders.

The door opened once again and two more customers entered inside. Taking a deep breath, Chisame wanted to be the first to greet these people, but Misa beat her to the chase.

"Welcome to Chao Bao Zi!"

Usually the customers would return the gesture with a quick thank you, or at the very least, a polite smile and a nod. These customers, a pair of middle-aged men, ignored her like she was totally invisible. Misa frowned but realised some people were like that. It didn't matter to her that much, so long as they were satisfied in the end. The men walked over to the bar and sat down on circular padded tall chairs.

"Hey girl! Two pints of Happoushu!" one of the guys called out.

Sakurako visibly tensed up.

"Is there a problem?" the other guy asked, though it sounded more like a demand.

"Ha ha! No problem-nya!" Sakurako replied, trying her best to keep her composure.

Chisame's heart froze. By instinct she took a nervous step backwards. The guy sitting on the right was a lanky chap with an angular face. His nose was quite large and his hair was a messy, longish beige. Every time he grinned, he displayed a set of vile, yellow-brown teeth. With muddy brown eyes, he was constantly staring at Sakurako's behind. Sho was his name, and he was a long time friend of Daichi… the man sitting on the left. Both of them wore business suits without the ties, and looked nowhere near as smart as Okazi and the others. Chisame never met Sho before, but she figured anyone who befriended Daichi must be as nasty and obnoxious as the man himself.

Sakurako gave them the two pints of beer. Daichi and Sho paid the girl with grubby yen notes. Most people would have refused the money since it barely looked readable, but nerves got the better of Sakurako. She put the money in the till without a second to lose.

Fortunately, Daichi hadn't noticed the redhead with glasses, which Chisame was thankful for… but it would only take Daichi a single glance in her direction to find out who she was. It felt disturbing to say the least. Chisame continued doing her job, but felt cold every time she heard her ex-boss talk. After their third pint of beer, things were starting to get disturbing. Daichi and Sho were laughing and swearing, whilst the rest of the ambience quietened down to a dull murmur.

"Man, I wouldn't mind taking her from behind!" Sho said, commenting about Sakurako.

"Heh, you'd be arrested on the spot!" replied Daichi.

"Yeah, but it'll be worth serving justice for!" grinned Sho.

The two of them laughed into their drinks. Sakurako tried to hold back her tears, but was succumbed by emotion. She ran to the corner of the room and started to cry. Chisame clenched a fist. She wanted to punch them hard in the face. Just when she started to see herself in a new light, those bastards came along to ruin everything. Luckily, Misa had already rushed over to the kitchen. She informed Satsuki there was trouble in the restaurant.

Satsuki complied immediately. She stopped whatever she was doing and marched straight to the bar. The timing could not have been any worse for Sho, for he had lighted a cigarette, when the sign near the door clearly stated no smoking. At once, Satsuki snatched the cigarette out of his mouth, and pressed its butt hard between Sho's index and second finger. At once his confidence had shattered. He could feel the immense heat by his hand. If that cigarette was a little closer, one of his fingers would have been burnt to a crisp.

"Are you blind?!" shouted Satsuki, "Did you not see the sign outside?"

"N-n-no I didn't! I swear!" answered Sho.

Sho began to reveal his true cowardly nature. Satsuki didn't know whether to believe him or not, but that didn't bother her much. What did bother her were the sobs and tears coming from Sakurako. Anyone with a heart would dare not talk about Sakurako in such an unacceptable manner.

"And I will not tolerate anyone who speaks ill of my friends." she continued, "These girls work hard night and day, and they don't need the likes of you tainting them with your foul presence. Got that?"

Sho was so scared that he almost forgot Daichi was sitting next to him. Sho turned to Daichi for backup, but Daichi just shrugged. Even more embarrassing for Sho was the slight stench coming from his trousers. He had unknowingly wet himself.

"G-G-Got it!" he said.

"Good, now get out, and don't ever come back."

Sho ran straight to the door and collided face first into it. He was so freaked out that he forget to open the thing first.

"You too." Satsuki said to Daichi, her tone softened but still retained fire.

Daichi realised that any excuses with her would be returned with ferocious backlash. With a grunted sigh he pulled himself off the chair. He was about to leave when his eyes caught sight of a very familiar face. Chisame flinched. He spotted her.

Daichi turned furious. He could never forget that memory where Chisame humiliated her in front of everyone. Since Chisame left, Daichi was no longer an imposing threat by the people working for him. Some of them even sniggered in his direction. The alcohol inside him only helped fuel his rage. He swatted Satsuki to one side and angrily made his way towards Chisame.

"You fucking cow," he growled through his teeth, "you… fucking… cow…"

Chisame became scared and confused. She recalled feeling this way when Diamonji grabbed her by the wrist. He would have dislocated it, if Keitaro wasn't there to help her. Now it was Daichi's turn to oppose her. Daichi tightly clenched his right fist, his motive a simple one; break her goddamn nose.

…

Ku Fei and Chao instantly sensed danger. Leaving from their respective rooms, the two Chinese ladies dashed into the restaurant.

As they heard a sickening sound, they realised they were too late.

Daichi's expression was ugly and twisted. All that anger had been released from his system. Tears started to stream down his eyes… and finally… Daichi howled in agony.

"AAAARRRRGGGHHH!! LET GO! PLEASE LET GO!!"

Chao looked at Chisame with a grin. She then looked at Daichi before changing her grin into a venomous smile. "Let me make this clear to you, sir. If I see you walk into this restaurant again, I will not hesitate to throw you out in a body bag."

"That goes double for me!" Ku Fei added, jabbing herself with a thumb.

"Triple for me!" Satsuki said. She rubbed her arm from Daichi's outburst, but wasn't seriously injured.

All Daichi could do was nod. He would do anything just to get out of this predicament.

"Okay Chisame-chan. I think you can let go now." Chao said.

Chisame was reluctant at first. She knew Daichi longer than everyone around her, and Daichi wasn't one to keep his word. Then again, she had never done anything like this to Daichi before. No one has. Besides… she had two people protecting her. Daichi could never pull a fast one with them around. Meanwhile Misa walked over to Sakurako and placed a hand on her shoulder, making sure she was okay. Sakurako wiped away a tear and nodded.

Chisame sighed and released her grip. Daichi turned around and ran away, screaming like a child. Okazi and his gang laughed and cheered. Never had they been entertained in such a way. Even some of the other customers started a chorus of applause. Chisame felt a bit embarrassed and rubbed her head in a very Keitaro-like manner.

Amongst the cheering, Chao said, "I can't believe you grabbed him by the crown jewels."

"Neither can I." Chisame replied.

"…"

"…"

"I think you better wash your hands."

"Good idea."

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

It was six o'clock, and the sky was beginning to darken. Makie and her friends were having so much fun, they forgot so many hours have passed by. Ako and Yuna said their farewells before leaving.

Keitaro had also finished in the tea shop. He dared to close five minutes earlier than normal, and luckily no more customers arrived. After making sure Hinata-Sou was spick and span, Keitaro relaxed in his bedroom. Mana was cooking tonight so he didn't have to worry about that. Right this moment, Keitaro was talking online, but it wasn't Haitani and Shirai this time.

_UrashimaManager: Wow Aunt Haruka! It's been so long since I last spoke to you!_

His aunt replied by sending him an image of a large paper fan.

_UrashimaManager: Oops! Sorry!_

Keitaro waited a minute but received no response. He wondered what she was doing on her computer. He then received a message stating she wants to speak from the webcam.

Keitaro opened his mouth. _"Webcam?!"_

He hadn't used his webcam for years. He only used it once when he was talking to Haitani. Unfortunately Haitani was drunk at that time, and thought it would be amusing to strip waist down and wiggle his naked butt in front of the screen. It was a sight to put off anyone using a webcam, and Keitaro hadn't used it since. He scrambled around his desk, and as luck would have it, the device was staring at him on the top left corner. He connected the webcam to the computer and selected 'yes'.

Haruka appeared on his window. She greeted him with a smile and a wave. Keitaro returned the greeting, but was still a little spaced out, since he hadn't see her face for ages. Haruka was still the kind loving woman he knew and cared for. Aside from her hair being a little shorter, her appearance has not changed at all.

"You need to sort out your hair." Haruka said.

Keitaro mockingly sagged his shoulders. "Well thanks! It's nice to see you too!"

Haruka's smile widened and asked how he was doing in Hinata-Sou. As Keitaro replied, Haruka could already tell he was ten times happier than she could remember. Through his teen years to adulthood, Haruka always remembered Keitaro being so depressed and morbid. Who was this guy that replaced him? Keitaro asked his aunt the same question, though he knew Haruka done a grand job maintaining her dormitory, as well as controlling the crazy residents that lived there.

"Why hello, who is this young lady?" Haruka suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

Keitaro spun around and was greeted with cute pink hair and an ever cuter face. Makie had sneaked up behind him and gently wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Me?" Makie asked herself, "I'm his wife, Makie Urashima!" she happily said with a wink.

Keitaro turned red and flapped his arms around. "WHAT?! No! That's not true at all!"

Haruka knew she was teasing him, and smiled at the way Keitaro was acting. Haruka then flinched when she saw Yue appear out of nowhere, her face inches away from the webcam.

"Hey Keitaro-san, are you watching milf-porn?" Yue asked.

Haruka made a face from Yue's remark.

"No, it is NOT milf-porn!" Keitaro argued, "And can you get your face out of the webcam please?"

Then there was a bout of silence. Haruka wondered why Keitaro and the two girls were staring at her in such a way. It was only then she realised it wasn't her they were staring at, but what was going on _behind _her.

Behind an open door was the large living room of Haruka's dormitory. They could hear and see a little boy screaming for dear life. He was completely naked and was running in circles around the couch. Then the whole dormitory started to quake. The poor boy was being chased by… a dreadnought!! It was masterly crafted with all sorts of metal, and fitted on its shoulders were two colossus plasma cannons. Inside the robot was a girl with tanned skin and blonde hair. She was giggling as she unleashed blasts of energy like there was no tomorrow. Suddenly there was a control glitch which caused the robot to keep moving at high speeds… crashing through a wall in the process.

The boy, still naked, gasped a sigh of relief as he returned to the living room. That sigh however was cut short when a gigantic stone head rolled out of nowhere and bowled him into the air.

Haruka smeared a hand over her face. For her, it was all another day in the office. "Listen, I'll call you back another time… oh and Keitaro?"

By this time Mana had called out from the kitchen, telling everyone dinner was ready. Yue and Makie disappeared from Keitaro's room.

"What is it?" Keitaro asked softly.

Haruka grinned.

"Stay happy."

The window screen went blank when Haruka left.

…

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

She was exhausted.

She thought playing Chiu in the festival was tough, but this single day sapped her stamina down to the bone. She didn't even acknowledge the sky turning pitch black. The time had struck four minutes past ten.

"Bye bye!" Sakurako waved, as the last customer exited Chao Bao Zi.

All of the staff had now entered the restaurant area. Chao happily stretched her arms, satisfied that today was a profitable day. Chao didn't have a single bead of sweat, unlike Chisame who looked like she needed CPR.

Chao handed her a padded envelope. Inside was yen notes. No cheque or bank slip, but hard earned money. "Here you go Chisame-chan! Thanks for all your help!"

"No problem." Chisame replied.

The air around Chisame was unusually silent. All of the girls were in the same room, but none of them uttered a single word. Weird. They could have at least said goodbye. Chisame sighed a little. She knew she could never live up to their expectations. Hopefully next time she could find a permanent position.

Chisame barely touched the door when she heard the voice of Chao Lingshen.

"Guess we'll see you Monday then."

A dagger struck into her heart. Chisame swiftly turned back to face the manager. Chao's expression was priceless. She was glancing over her nails with half closed eyes… and then her eyes met Chisame's.

"I've got the job?!" gasped Chisame, "But… …why?!"

"Well, you were a little rough around the edges, but you certainly worked _very _hard. I mean look at you! You're exhausted!" Chao said.

"And the way you treated that jerk was just wicked!" added Misa.

"A girl that takes shit from no one is a-okay is my book!" Madoka grinned.

Sakurako nodded. She wished she could have that kind of courage.

"I think this cause for celebration!" cheered Ku Fei.

Chisame opened her eyes a little from Ku Fei's remark. "Celebration…? I… I don't know…"

But Chisame's words completely died out when they were overtaken by the cheers of the other girls. When Satomi and Sakurako prepared and plugged in a CD player, something told Chisame she was going to bed much later then she had anticipated.

…

…

…

…

Chisame, dressed back in her casual wear, sat down by a round table. Alongside her were Sakurako, Madoka and Misa. Sakurako had exchanged her uniform into a pink vest and pair of red shorts, whereas Misa wore a lovely deep blue dress. Both of them had on fashionable rings and necklaces. Madoka wore the same clothing when she first met Chisame. A variety of colourful drinks were displayed in front of them; some of them nearly empty, others full to the brim of the glass. At the bar were Ku Fei, Satsuki and Satomi. Ku Fei wore jean shorts and a polo yellow sweater. The chef wore a red short sleeve shirt and trousers. Satomi wore baggy blue shorts and an oversized white shirt. Chao, who still had some written work to do in the office, wore a lime green t-shirt and black jeans. The ambience mostly consisted of rock music and girl gossip. Madoka was an avid fan of Anvril Lavigne; a female western rock star in her early twenties. Madoka had recently purchased her latest album and was more than eager to let the others hear it.

Chisame stared at her glass. It was triangular shaped and was filled with seven parts lime juice and one part vodka. An umbrella and a slice of lemon decorated the drink. At the moment the four girls were playing a game, well actually Sakurako was the main centre of this one. They wanted to see how long Sakurako could remain silent without saying the word 'nya'. They waited… and waited. Sakurako's lips trembled. It had only been thirty seconds.

Then…

"N…nya!" Sakurako burst out.

Madoka and Misa laughed their heads off, and Chisame covered her wide grin with her mouth. Why was she going to laugh? It was beyond childish. Girls, young adults were laughing about something really silly. Makie and her friends do it all the time. How was this any different?

"Okay! Let's do it again!" Misa declared, "Sakurako-chan… get ready… … go!"

Only eight seconds passed this time.

"NYAA!" Sakurako shouted.

Whether it was the alcohol or just being in the company with good friends, Chisame laughed for one of the few times in her life. Actually she laughed so much that the lime juice she was drinking spluttered out of her nose. Madoka and Misa pointed at Chisame's misfortune and started to laugh even louder.

After a while of hilarity, Satsuki presented the four with a tray of light snacks. Sandwiches, mini prawn balls and chips were all displayed on top of three big round plates. They thanked Satsuki and quickly began to tuck themselves into the food.

"Food tastes so much better after a drink or two!" Madoka said.

Misa was too busy eating to reply. With an eyesmile she happily bit deep into her sandwich. "Mhm! Mhm!"

Chisame nodded to herself in agreement. _"The food is incredible… even better than Keitaro's… uh, no offence Keitaro."_

She paused to think.

"_Keitaro! He must be so worried about me! I don't want to be rude, but I better get going! It's already late enough as it is… … why is Madoka dragging my arm?"_

"Come on Chisame-chan! You're dancing with me!" Madoka grinned, pulling Chisame off her chair.

Chisame didn't know what to say, or do. Ku Fei, Satomi, Satsuki, Sakurako and Misa were all clapping in rhythm to the music. For some reason… Chisame felt she didn't want to disappoint them. They were… her friends. Chisame didn't want to disappoint her friends…

…so she danced…

…she danced the night away…

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

Not a murmur was heard within Hinata-Sou, for it was only Keitaro who remained awake. There were often times where Chisame would be late for dinner, but not even hearing a word from her worried Keitaro to bits. He wondered what may have happened to her. There had to be some kind of problem. Mana assured him everything will be alright, but Keitaro did not completely place his faith in her. How Mana kept so calm… irked him sometimes.

Another minute ticked by.

Keitaro put on his shoes and rushed outside.

…

…

**-0-0-**

…

After the party, Chao volunteered to drive Chisame back to Hinata-Sou. She drove a dazzling, yellow open-top sports car, the type of vehicle only movie stars would consider purchasing. The other girls hired taxis to take them back to their respective homes, since they were completely wasted to do anything else. Fortunately, Chao was the only one not drinking, so with the aid of Chisame's directions, the two of them arrived safe and sound. Chao parked her car so it would only take Chisame five minutes to Hinata-Sou.

"Thanks for the lift," thanked Chisame, "seriously, you didn't have to do this."

Chao drummed her right hand on the edge of the car door. "Um… Chisame-chan? Mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You've never worked in a restaurant before, have you?"

Chisame shook her head. "Ah… nope, not really."

Chao smiled and pressed deeper into the topic. "You probably tried this place out as a last resort, right?"

Although Chisame felt awkward, she answered the question truthfully. "I used to work as a games tester for Star Rock Enterprises, but when I left that job, I started looking for other, how do I put this, game related places. To tell the truth, I only visited this place because a friend recommended it to me."

Chao nodded, as if satisfied with the answer. "And that guy who approached you, I take it he used to be your boss?"

"Yeah… that was him."

Chao patted her hands on the steering wheel, letting out a long, heartfelt sigh. "You know… Madoka-chan… she was never this confident to start with…"

That caught Chisame's attention. The sassy, wild girl who could sleep walk and grope breasts without knowing about it. She imagined Madoka always behaving like that.

"…she used to be bullied and teased in high school, and achieved next to no qualifications. Afterwards, she then worked in an office a few miles from here, but the staff treated her like some dumb animal in a cage. Naturally she quit after three months. Madoka-chan reluctantly entered our place because her father recommended it after reading an advert. So we gave her a trial run and… guess what happened?"

"Her old boss showed up?" Chisame answered.

"Him and two other work associates. Of course, after seeing Madoka-chan in such a cute maiden outfit, they started to make fun of her. Well… that is until she punched the guy straight in the jaw. I had such a devil of a time cleaning up that mess."

Chisame chuckled a little. Revenge is a bitter sweet flavour, but she found it to her liking. "What about the other two guys?"

"What do you think? They shit themselves and ran off."

"Heh… men can be such bastards sometimes."

"Sometimes."

Chao decided she took enough of Chisame's time already. As Chisame left the car, Chao told her one last thing before leaving.

"Remember Chisame-chan… just be yourself. Take care!"

Chisame watched the sports car disappear into the distance. The bewildered girl had undergone the most exhilarating day in her entire life. She instantly rubbed her hair. During the party, Chisame almost forgot that Misa placed cosplay fox ears on top of her head, along with a big bushy tail attached to her rear end. Sakurako also recommended a glossy pink lipstick to her… which, by recommended, Sakurako attached the stuff to her without waiting for an opinion.

It was at that time when a guy around her age bumped into her. Chisame felt the confidence running through the veins. "Hey! Mind where you're going!"

"Sorry!" he replied.

They both ceased walking and turned to face each other.

"Keitaro?"

"H-Hasegawa-san?!"

Keitaro flapped his arms like a maniac. He found it a massive relief to see her at last. His eyes and mouth were as wide as saucers when he panicked.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!? I've was going to take the train to find you! I thought you got mugged! Have you eaten anything? There's fox ears on your head! Why didn't you call? Is that lipstick? Oh no! Did you lose your mobile phone?!"

"Woah! Slow down!" Chisame said in alarm.

Keitaro took deep breaths and tried to compose himself. Mana was right, as always. There was nothing to worry about.

"I was just… scared something happened to you." he said softly.

Chisame closed his eyes and smiled. "Thanks for worrying about me, but really, I'm fine… aaaand guess what?"

"Wh-what?"

She reopened her eyes. "I found a job."

Keitaro's face transformed into a terrific open smile. "Really?! That's great news! Ah, where do you work now?"

"I'll give you a clue. It has a 'C' in it."

Keitaro scratched his head. "You're a fisherman?"

"No, idiot! I don't mean that kind of… ah never mind. It's the one you gave me the ad for."

"Wow! Seriously?!"

"Yep, I know. I was just as surprised as you are."

There were a million more things Keitaro wanted to ask, but with a wave of a hand, Chisame told Keitaro she would tell him more tomorrow morning. With that, they walked side by side. The silence between them was strangely… comforting. Normally, Keitaro would try to break the ice by saying something dumb and irrelevant, just to get the conversation flowing. Tonight, Keitaro was content. He was walking alongside the girl he fancied, the girl he loved. Panic and anguish changed into a quiet happiness.

Chisame was starting to get drowsy. She feared those Hinata steps would be the end of her. The alcohol took over her mind as she swayed side to side.

"_Wonder if Keitaro will help me up those stairs," _she mused, _"maybe he will carry me… like a knight would carry a princess… it'll be just like those bedtime fairytales my mom always told me..."_

A fierce breeze sailed into her body. All of her strange senses and drowsiness were dowsed away. She placed a hand on her forehead. Why on earth was she thinking such thoughts?! Chisame turned around… and noticed Keitaro had collapsed backwards, out like a light. After all, he was up all night worrying about her.

**-0-0-**

The door to the dormitory opened slowly.

"Talk about an anticlimax." grumbled Chisame. She slung Keitaro's arm over her shoulder, and ascended every step escorting all of that dead weight. She accomplished a miracle when she placed Keitaro on the living room couch. Keitaro lolled to one side and his glasses fell off his face, landing gently onto the floor. Chisame picked them up and placed them on the nearby table.

Chisame was about to leave Keitaro to his slumber, but before she walked upstairs, she turned around and watched him. She watched his body rise and fall. She listened to him mutter something unpronounceable. She smiled as she gazed at his presence.

Chisame Hasegawa was an antisocialist. She despised anyone with an open mind, and would try to detach herself from anyone who wished to be in the same vicinity as her. Not even psychiatrists could alter the way she behaved. Yet this weird, clueless, sleeping man… did just that. He managed to shape Chisame without the use of Photoshock or bunny outfits. He made Chisame see things… differently. After six long months, Keitaro had transformed Chisame Hasegawa.

The air around Chisame… thanked him a million times.

**-0-0-**

…

…

…

…

Keitaro found himself in the great outside. He recognised the place immediately. It was a place that teased many of his dreams and fantasies. He squinted at the clear blue sky. The sun could not have shone any brighter.

"Toudai." he whispered to himself.

He stood in the vast fields. Lush green grass swayed around with the gentle wind. This time however, there was no festival. The fields of Toudai were almost naked without the people, the stores and the attractions. Still, the fields alone made for a beautiful spectacle.

"Kei-kun…"

He heard a voice. He turned around and witnessed a sight even more amazing than Toudai. Chiu was staring at him with a perfect smile. The Internet did not do this wonderful girl any justice. The real sight of her should be reserved for those embarking the afterlife. Keitaro felt guilty by returning her sight with his own eyes. Chiu wore the same floral dress Keitaro remembered during the festival. Her hair and dress flowed gracefully with the wind.

"…you remember me… don't you?"

Keitaro gulped before answering, "Yeah… of course I do!"

Chiu tilted her head and made an eyesmile. "Thank goodness! I thought you had forgotten!"

Her expression turned a little serious when she opened her eyes.

"You know… Chiu still remembers you saving me from that big muscular guy…"

She smiled and placed a hand over her heart.

"Well… um… I couldn't just leave you…" Keitaro murmured. He was blushing.

"…in fact… you have done so much for me. Lots of little things and big things… just to make Chiu happy…"

Upon hearing this, Keitaro didn't know how to react. _"Little and big things? What does she mean?"_

"…so… I just want to say… thank you! Thank you, Kei-kun!"

Keitaro gulped, his body frozen. Chiu was walking towards him, slowly and confidently. She gently touched his hands with her own… and kissed him delicately on his right cheek.

…

…

…

…

"_Thank you… Keitaro…"_

**-0-0-**

Keitaro woke up without a sound. He was surrounded by near darkness. As he removed himself from the couch, Keitaro could just make out the time on the living room clock. It was three in the morning.

The last thing Keitaro remembered was when he was walking with Chisame. That, and of course, the dream which followed afterwards. What a dream, he thought. What an incredible dream.

Keitaro walked upstairs before going inside the bathroom. He was hot and sweaty for sleeping in his clothes. A nice, cool shower would solve that problem. He glanced at the mirror before getting ready. He looked at the mirror again, inching his face towards it. His eyes were practically glued to his own reflection...

…for on his right cheek…

…was a faint trace of glossy pink lipstick.

…

_End of Book One_


End file.
